Stargate Aschen
by Kimberley Jackson
Summary: Jack/Sam AU. Earth is an Aschen colony under strict reign by an Aschen government. Only a very small percent of humans are still fertile. Samantha Carter is a young woman living in this world oppressed by Aschen. When her father arranges her marriage with his friend Jack O'Neill to protect Sam from the sytem, Sam runs away to join the resistance, determined to liberate Earth...
1. Prologue

**Author:** Kimberley Jackson

**Title:** Stargate Aschen

**Rating:** G - R (on : G - PG-13)

**Category:** Adventure/Romance

**Summary:** This is an AU (alternate universe) version of Stargate – a spin-off in writing if you wish. Earth is an Aschen colony under strict reign by an Aschen government. Humanity is at the brink of extinction – only a very small percent of humans are so-called gifted ones who are able to still conveive/produce children. Strict rules apply to the gifted ones, as the Aschen government wants to make sure that a certain number of population is being upheld.

Samantha Carter is a young woman living in this restrictive world. She is 25 years old, and that means she has just come of age and undergoes her first fertility tests. When her tests turn out positive, her father Jacob Carter arranges her marriage with an old friend of his – Jack O'Neill, one of the leaders of the resistance; an arrangement which Sam is opposed to once she learns of it.  
Determined, she runs awa from home to find the resistance and fight for her own freedom. Eventually she manages to get into the resistance, and is stationed at a small camp in Antartica where a second Stargate was found and kept secret from the Aschen. Camp leader is Colonel Jack O'Neill. Unknowing, that they are husband and wife, they start to fight against the Aschen together…

**Note:** This is going to be the shortened version of the story due to 's regulation concerning mature content. I will give a note when a chapter is the censored version. Regardless you can find the complete version of the story (uncensored - including title art) on my homepage. The link is in my profile or here (just replace the ö-letter with a dot: kimberley-jacksonöcom

This is a work-in-progress. Although the story is almost finished on my computer with over 300 pages in WORD, I'm still working out finer details (revisions). Updates will occur 1-2 a week, so please stay tuned if you like it!

**Beta-Reader:** esmejasper - A big thanks for her great job!

**Prologue**

_August 26, 1997 – Aschen Colony Earth: Somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere_

The small bar was crowded with people who were drinking and joking, or indulging in darts games in little groups of friends or even strangers. It didn't matter who knew whom – or if they knew each other at all. The dart-boards were limited and so people became friends out of necessity – even if it was just for one evening.

It looked like a merry place in the little town just outside of Washington: one of the larger cities on the planet, and the center of commerce between the human world and their benefactors, the Aschen. Washington and its immediate surroundings was also by far the most technologically advanced region on the otherwise agrarian planet – a fact that the city owed to the presence of numerous Aschen inhabitants.

The rest of the planet was rather rural with very few really big cities, but lots of farmland and small communities. Most adult males were farmers, some were technicians who had to keep the farm machinery running. A few chosen ones (who were usually already born in one of the larger city areas) became scientists, doctors or historians, but their number was limited and strictly controlled by the Aschen governor. There were only a few job positions available each year for human candidates due to the limitation of the resources spent on those fields; at least that was the official Aschen explanation, because most of the scientific machinery was controlled by Aschen.

Humans simply didn't know how to do it; most of them were too uneducated, even more of them were too lazy to try and gain more control over their society. And the few that were neither too stupid nor too lazy were very careful not to let that fact get out to the public – simply due to the possibility that the rumors might be true.

The rumors, which went around the human population in hushed voices, and which the Aschen thought had long since died, were anything but friendly about Earth's self-proclaimed 'benefactors'. Sometimes they seemed to vanish for a decade, maybe two, before they would finally resurface, and start making their rounds among the population anew.

There were dangerous accusations underlying those rumors, and so they were only whispered when no Aschen was around. They said that over 700 years ago, when the Aschen arrived on the planet, humans on Earth had been divided into thriving societies: primitive, and caught up in superstitions mostly, but thriving. There had been countless different cultures and languages, which were influenced by a number of different religions and myths. True, there were also rumors that the human race had been divided by those religions and cultures, and waged bloody wars among themselves, but at least they had been thriving, until their so-called 'saviors' had arrived through the Stargate: a device uncovered by Christian crusaders in the North of the African continent.

The arrivers, which appeared divine to the humans populating Earth back then, provided them with medicine and technology, advancing their civilizations to a point of industrialization - but never to a point far enough that the humans might become powerful enough to make their 'oppressors' leave again.

Usually the details were supplemented here and there with more colorful images of the horrible deeds and crimes committed by the oppressors (depending on the speaker), but the core always remained the same: The Aschen were a threat who had essentially destroyed human growth and they were now heavily controlling human population to make sure that they remained inferior as a civilization. It was a grim story that stood in vast contrast with the peaceful, sublime landscape of Earth, in which all humans – and Aschen - lived in seemingly peaceful harmony together. It was a story that the Aschen didn't like. As little as they liked places like the little bar in which people mingled so happily and spent their evenings drinking and having fun.

They never interfered (or at least that was the story that was officially upheld – rumors pointed in a different direction), and so the evenings of fun and drinking continued.

This night was no different from usual. People were so engaged in their respective activities of drinking or gambling (and in some cases both), that nobody really paid attention to the other individuals or groups present.

And so the two men who were sitting in a shady corner, drinking beer and talking in a hushed way didn't even strike anybody as suspicious.

"You know I would not even ask you if I thought there was any other way to resolve the situation."

"Which makes it even worse if your situation is that desperate that you consider me to be the best possible choice. I mean… I'm not exactly known for winning a husband award." The tall, good-looking man smiled grimly, his dark eyes looking at the man opposite to him, while he ran one of his hands nervously through his short, graying hair. His entire attitude expressed his awkwardness about the situation. "And frankly, she's quite a bit younger than I am. I could be her father, fer crying out loud."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack, you're a good twenty years younger than me. That makes her about sixteen years younger than you are – that is nowhere near close. Besides, age is not really the main consideration in contracts like this, and you know that."

Jack sighed and took another sip of his beer, before he nodded. "I know. The curse of being born as a gifted one."

"Don't be so sarcastic. There are not many people left on this planet that turn out to be fertile once they reach maturity. You are one of them. So is she. You know the deal, Jack. In order to keep the population steady, gifted women are usually married off to the genetically most compatible mate, in order to ensure that the gift is passed on. I don't need to tell you about the standard mindset of those 'arranged' husbands." The older man said with a serious expression on his face. "I don't want her to go through what I went through with her mother – or you went through with your first wife for that matter. Her mother and I could barely stand each other, and she decided to kill herself when our daughter was twelve."

"Jacob," Jack started. "What makes you think I could make things better for her, when you couldn't for your wife? It would still be a forced contract – a forced marriage."

"I know how easy it is to get caught up in the Aschen promises, and the ambitions to father children in exchange for rewards and promotions. I myself should have paid more attention to my wife's feelings, but when I finally realized what was going on it was too late." He sighed, and for a moment his face reflected his age, and the sorrows that troubled him; sorrows that came with their work, and with having a family whom one wanted to protect from Aschen oppression. "Jack, to be honest, there are men out there who are much worse than you."

Jack raised his eyebrows and nodded sarcastically. "Thanks, that helps," he said, before he took another sip of his beer.

"Okay, that came out wrong. What I meant is, you know most of them are collaborators. They're closely monitored by Aschen scientists. And a lot of them are violent. You have never shown the kind of ambition to chase after the monetary rewards for producing offspring, so I know you would treat her with respect, without the usual pressure involved." Jacob shook his head, and looked down into his glass. The years of knowing the truth – of unsuccessfully fighting the Aschen – had taken its toll, not so much on his body, but more on his soul.

Jacob sighed deeply troubled. "I cannot tell you how much I had hoped to spare her that fate. How much I had hoped that her test would come back negative. Hell, I even made sure that she got a higher dosage of vaccine than the average children, because I had hoped, that she would not turn out…" He stopped talking and shook his head, before he looked back up, gripping his friends arm tightly. "Please, Jack. I know you've been married before, and you never intended to marry again, but... if you ever thought you owe me anything for saving your life, now is the time to repay."

"This is hardly the time to play the guilt card, Jacob," Jack said, somewhat irritated now. "You have to understand what you're asking of me here! The time with my first wife was – well, let's just say, it was bad on our best days. A nightmare on usual days. You know the drill. Every one of us gifted males has had to deal with it, and I know there are people out there who enjoy oppressing their wife and forcing themselves on her. But I despised it. Every single second of it. If I was officially remarried to your daughter, we would have to have a child sometime in the near future. I am not willing to pay that price again! And besides, I'm really not into young women…"

"She's 25, Jack. You're 41. It's not that much of a difference, so will you stop with the age already?"

"It's enough."

"She's smart! A lot smarter than the both of us. She's a little spoiled and naïve, but kind-hearted. She's not ugly either."

"Jeez, Jacob…" Jack winced and pulled his arm out of the older man's grip. "It's really not about attraction or beauty. I've never seen the girl, or talked to her. She hasn't seen me! Does she even know you're doing this?"

"No. She doesn't even know that her test was positive, yet." Jacob said. "I always told her, even when she was young, that chances were slim. So she doesn't expect it."

"Great," Jack nodded. "So she'll be infuriated, at best." He chuckled grimly and shook his head, wanting to add something, but Jacob didn't even let him finish.

"She'll get over it. You're an attractive man."

"Oookay… I'm leaving now, because this conversation…" He gesticulated between him and Jacob with his one hand, while pulling a few silver coins to pay for his beer out of his pocket with the other. "...just took a weird turn. No, actually, it has been weird for a while, so…"

"Hell, Jack!" Jacob pulled him back down to sit, his face stern and almost angry now. "Do you think this is a joke?"

"Kinda hope it is."

Jacob sighed and shook his head. "Jack, what would you do if you had a daughter."

"Certainly wouldn't try to marry her off to you." Jack retorted sarcastically, knowing quite well, that the comparison wasn't quite fitting, given their age difference and the fact that Jacob was considered old at his age. The two men looked at each other for a moment, then Jacob started to laugh, and Jack had to grin as well.

"All right," Jack finally surrendered and nodded. "But I won't force myself on her! She either agrees to it, or the deal is off. What can you tell me about her – character-wise I mean? What does she like?"

"Well, mostly she reads. She studies science too."

"Which university allows girls to enroll? Did they change that rule again?" Jack asked surprised and Jacob shook his head.

"No, I'm having her homeschooled. I made sure to hire the best teachers once Margareth and I realized that she was outstandingly smart. It was one of the few things we could actually agree upon."

"Ah, I see. Does she know about your work in our group?" Jack asked, and Jacob shook his head.

"No. I never told her I was involved with the resistance. As far as she's concerned, I'm one of the human officials in the Aschen ministry – a collaborator."

Well," Jack said, "That might be a problem. I don't have a cover job like you have. What do you expect me to tell her? Hell, I am hardly ever anywhere else but at camp."

"Actually," Jacob said, "I was hoping that her knowledge and skills might someday benefit our cause, so you wouldn't have to keep it secret."

"I don't know, Jacob. Do you have at least a photo of her?"

"Not with me, no. She is blonde. You like blonde, right? She has long, blonde hair, blue eyes, she's tall and slim; almost too slim if you ask me. If it was up to me, she would go out more, and I keep telling her that, but she prefers to read. And when she does go out she hangs out with this Jonas-guy." Jacob added with a frustrated tone in his voice that showed mild anger.

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at his friend, his face hardening.

"Are you telling me that she has a boyfriend?"

"No, I made myself very clear to her about what I thought of him, and explicitly warned her not to start a relationship with him."

"Yeah, cause that always works out." Jack remarked and then put his beer glass down more forcefully than intended. "Jeez, Jacob! You want to force-marry your daughter to me, when she is in love with another guy? This isn't any better than what the Aschen government does to us gifted people!"

"He's an Aschen." Jacob replied calmly after a short moment of silence. "Aside from the fact that he has a violent, dishonest character, you know what will happen once he learns that she's gifted. They never allow gifted humans to get involved with Aschen. THEY would force-marry her off. So I'd rather be the one to break her heart now to give her a chance at happiness, than to wait a few more months only to see them break her heart and her becoming unhappy for the rest of her life."

"What makes you think that I'm the better choice? I'm sarcastic, involved in my work and don't exactly have a history of working relationships. And according to Dr. Jackson I can be quite an ass sometimes – his words, not mine."

"I know you, Jack. You're an honest man, you have a strong character and I know you would never do anything to hurt her. The fact that you are having all these concerns now just confirms your integrity. It's hard to find a gifted man who is not bent on earning the rewards promised by the Aschen government for producing offspring. I want my daughter to have the possibility to stay in the sciences, and I know that you will make sure that happens."

Jack inhaled deeply and finally nodded. "Alright. Fine. But I want you to tell her beforehand! I want you to inform her of what's going to happen in advance, and I want her to be alright with it – otherwise this thing will only exist on paper. I do not want to take another bride home crying, understood?" He eyed his friend almost grumpily, and Jacob lifted his hands in defeat.

"Alright."

"Jacob… I'm not kidding!"

"Calm down, I will tell her. She's a reasonable young woman, I am sure she will come to terms with it. Do you want to make it official right away?"

"Might as well." Jack replied, and Jacob pulled out a piece of paper: a formal marriage contract. Jack watched the older man fill in the details, and then sign the paper before he handed the pen over to him. The man hesitated for a moment, and then put his signature under the form before he pushed it back over to Jacob.

"All right." Jacob nodded, and then his face lightened slightly. "Congratulations, you are now a married man."

Jack mumbled something grumpily, and then took a huge sip of his beer, thinking that this was probably one of the most ill-advised choices of his entire life.


	2. Chapter 1 - Let It Go

_A/N: Big thanks to the wonderful **esmejasper** for beta-reading._

**Chapter 1 – Let It Go**

"Samantha!" The older lady rushed through the house, carrying a pile of clean sheets while looking into the big library room. "Sam?"

"Down here!" A cheerful voice replied from somewhere downstairs, and the woman rushed into the library to the small staircase in the corner that led downstairs to where the more sensitive books were kept, along with the household computer. She bent down to peek into the dim room over the railing of the stairs.

"Sam, are you accessing the computer again?" she asked with a tone of audible reproach in her voice. "You know your father's opinion about that!"

A moment later, a young woman came up the staircase, carrying a pile of books in her arms. "My father has strong opinions about a lot of things that I do," she commented, and put the heavy books down in front of a bookshelf to put them back. "Mainly because he doesn't trust me to be able to do anything without his guidance."

After she had put all the books back, she turned around with a soft smile, looking at the woman who had once been her nanny, and was now their personal housekeeper. "That doesn't mean I'm not more than capable of doing those things though."

"Sam, I really wish you hadn't inherited your father's stubbornness." The old nanny complained and hurried to follow her when she left the room. "You know it's dangerous to access the system without authorization."

"Yes, it is," Sam turned around and smiled, as she slowly walked backwards along the small hallway that led to the entrance hall and her study rooms. "But I cracked the algorithm behind their access codes months ago, and I've had practice in refining it since then. It's really not that hard and now when I access their system, it looks to them like I'm their shadow – metaphorically spoken of course. You don't get suspicious of your own shadow, Minny, do you?"

The old nanny sighed and shook her head. "You are way too reckless. And too smart for your own good if you ask me."

"Some people should be a bit more reckless! Like my father! He's been working for the ministry his entire life! Side by side! With the Aschen! Without ever asking any questions." Sam's voice had a tone of outrage in it now, and angrily she pushed one of the strands of her long blonde hair out of her face. "I really wish, he wasn't such an ass-kissing…"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, YOUNG LADY!" The old housekeeper interjected angrily now. "Your father has sacrificed a lot to provide you and your brothers with the best education and all the chances in life! Without the good money that he earns in the ministry's service, you would not have been able to get the books you need for studying – not to mention your teachers. You should never forget that!"

"Yes," Sam nodded and then sighed in frustration. "And what am I going to use that education for? You know quite well, that they don't allow human women to work in the sciences. So if I'm lucky I will end up tending a farm one day. Maybe improving crop machines in the neighborhood. That's it…" She dropped her arms, her face showing her frustration. "I want to go through the Stargate, Minny."

"Samantha Carter, you know quite well, that they don't allow human research teams to travel to their home planet."

"I don't think the gate just leads to their home planet! I don't even think that they are the ones who built it as they always claim! I've hacked into their system, and it looks like the program they use is designed to bridge the gap between their system and another one – the Stargate one, which is a lot more advanced! Can you imagine? What if there are other worlds out there?" Sam looked at the housekeeper passionately. "What if there is other people like us out there? Or people even more advanced than the Aschen?"

"It doesn't matter, because they will never allow you to use it."

"Well, that's just the point, isn't it?" Sam asked back, the anger returning back to her voice. "This is our planet. They shouldn't be in the position to tell us what we can and cannot do. Only oppressors do that, and only occupied planets allow it to happen."

Her old nanny looked like she was about to have a heart attack. "Samantha Carter, what kind of talk is that! If I didn't know better I would say that you are part of the…" She shut up suddenly, and shook her head. "…that you were out of your mind!"

Sam rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders softly. "Resistance? Was that what you were about to say?"

"Shhh…" Minny whispered. "You know that is just a legend; a rumor that has been around for as long as the story about the ghost up in the mill."

"Yes, except that ghosts in the mill don't cause power outages." Sam replied. "…or place bombs near the ministry so that every person who walks around the city gets regularly screened for explosives now."

"Those were accidents, you know that quite well." Minny replied and followed her when she was about to walk away. Sam laughed softly.

"I know, I watched the documentaries too. But I've had access to the Aschen computer, remember?" she winked with a mischievous smile, and Minny ran after her.

"Sam, you have to forget about… whatever it is that is going through your mind right now." Minny begged desperately.

"Minny," Sam's tone was urgent now that they were in her private room. "Just think: if the resistance really exists, it might be a chance for us to get rid of the Aschen! It might be a chance for me to do something with my science skills other than plant crops."

"SAM…" Minny cried out. "Don't even think about something stupid like that. Even if they existed: they are traitors; outlaws who will be sentenced to death once they are captured." Sam had stopped in front of her mirror, and had started braiding her long hair so that it wouldn't fall into her face anymore. From the corner of her eyes, she looked at her old nanny, and sighed.

"Don't worry Minny. You know I just like to think out possible scenarios and conduct mind experiments." She laughed, and then pulled her top over her head to change into another, a lot more revealing and a lot sexier one. "Besides, if I left here, I wouldn't be able to see Jonas anymore."

At that moment, a deep throat-clearing could be heard from her door. Sam turned around and saw her father, Jacob Carter leaning against the door frame.

"Going somewhere?"

"Dad!" Sam said and her face lit up. "I didn't know you were back from work yet. I was just about to meet Jonas."

"Not today," Jacob said, his face remaining serious as he looked at Minny. "Could you prepare dinner and serve it in my personal study today? Sam, please come with me. There is something we have to talk about." He turned around and left the room. Sam followed him with eyes wide in confusion and looked at Minny, who just shrugged.

"What's the matter, dad?" Sam asked, when she followed her father down the stairs to the ground floor with its large entrance hall. "Can't this wait until later? Jonas and I actually wanted…"

"Now, Sam."

"Yes, Sir…" Sam sighed, and obediently walked after her father into his private study room.

"Close the door," he informed her once she was inside. Sam's smile disappeared slowly.

"What's the matter, dad, am I in trouble for something?"

Jacob sighed, as he sat down in his chair. "Yes… no… nothing that's your fault. Come here, honey, sit down. Please."

Sam suddenly started to feel slightly sick to her stomach. She had never before seen her father so serious, not even when she had disobeyed his rules – which happened occasionally, because Minny was right in one thing: she did have her father's stubbornness.

"What do you mean, it's not my fault?" she asked softly, sitting down on the chair that her father had pulled close for her.

"Do you remember the standard testing that you had to do at the doctor's office a while back?" he asked and Sam nodded.

"Yes, of course."

"Well… you know that, due to the alterations in our genetic code from using the vaccines for centuries, only about five percent of all the children in every generation turn out to be fertile."

"Yes, sure. It's the main reason for the decline of our society." She replied.

"And you know that strict rules apply to those young adults who get tested positive?" He continued, his heart heavy. Sam shook her head softly, a realization slowly dawning on her, but her mind was unable – no, unwilling – to grasp or consider the possibility of what he was trying to say.

"Dad, what are you saying?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Sam…" he said, softly taking her hand and looking her in the eyes. "You tested positive."

She gasped and pulled her hand out of his. "No…" she whispered in shock, her expression absolutely mortified. "No… Dad, that has to be a mistake. Mark, John and David weren't positive! It doesn't run in the family. It must be a mistake. They have to run the test again."

"They did, Sam. Every test is run three times, to rule out false positives. You tested positive on all three accounts." He added softly. Sam jumped up from her chair, shaking her head. Never in her life had she considered the possibility that working on improving crop machines might not even be the worst outcome of her life. She would end up under a strict rule of the Aschen government, assigned a husband, with the sole duty to bear children and ensure that the population as it was would be upheld.

"Oh, God…" She said, tears gathering in her eyes now. "Please, tell me that's not true."

"I'm afraid, it is," he said and leaned back in his chair.

"But… what about Jonas?"

"Sam… darling… you know how he will react once he learns about your condition. He's an Aschen." Jacob said gently, but Sam shook her head, pressing her lips together.

"No, you have never liked him! He's different. If you had just once taken the time to get to know him, you would understand that."

"Sam…" Jacob said gently. "Aschen boys never take human women as their wives, let alone fertile human women."

"You don't even know him!" Sam stressed enraged now, not caring for the tears that were streaming down her cheeks now. "He's not like the rest of them!"

Jacob sighed and buried his face in his hands for a moment. Then he looked back up at his daughter with sadness in his eyes and shook his head gently. "Yes, he is."

"YOU DON'T KNOW HIM DAD!" Sam finally exploded, anger and desperation taking over. "You never even bothered to meet him! You were always just opposed to our relationship."

"For good reason. I knew he'd break your heart, one way or another. Sam, Aschen men don't risk producing what they call mixed-breeds. It would cause too much of a legal issue, because the offspring would be both, human and Aschen, and pose a classification problem. You know there are different laws for humans and Aschen. Imagine the kind of chaos that would arise if suddenly children were born who were both." He explained softly. "They are obsessed with keeping the races separate, and only intermingle with human women if there is harmless fun involved." He closed his eyes, when suddenly another thought occurred to him. "Sam… did you and him…"

"What?" Sam asked incredulously and shook her head, knowing what her father was implying. Did she and Jonas ever have sex before? It was a necessary question, because he needed to outrule the possibility that she was already pregnant with an Aschen child.

Sam felt more embarrassed than she had ever done in her life before, having to answer a personal question like that to her own father. But she knew it was only a fraction of what was about to come. Nothing in her life would be just personal, just her own anymore. Everything would be regulated from now on; from the food she ate, to the times when she was allowed to eat, to when or for what reason she would be allowed to leave the house, to the days of the month where she had to have sexual intercourse. "No." she finally responded, her mind just succumbing into a numb state of surrender. "No, we didn't."

"Good." Jacob exhaled in relief. "I wouldn't want things to get more complicated. Now, please sit down, there is more to talk about."

"I know the drill, dad. They will come and get me in a few days to bring me to one of the science labs and proceed from there to determine the genetically most compatible man," Sam said, her voice dead now.

"No." Jacob replied, and opened the top drawer to pull out a piece of paper. "I made sure that your test results would disappear for now, but that is not a permanent solution as it will be impossible to do the same with the bi-monthly follow-up tests."

"What do you mean?" Sam said, shaking her head. "Disappear?"

"Well, I turned the positive into a negative in the system. Once the samples have been destroyed, nobody will be able to prove otherwise; after all, your blood sample was just a number on their testing table. However, it will be impossible to do that every single time from now on, so I have come up with a more permanent solution." Jacob explained and raised his eyebrows. "I know you are not going to like this Sam, but it's the only way to keep you safe, even if they know that you are positive."

"Dad…" Sam whispered, even more horrified now than she had been before. "What did you do?"

"I have an old friend, who is gifted and happens to be available for marriage. As you know, if you are tested positive, but are already married to a gifted person, they will not break that bond up. It's the only exception for an otherwise very explicit rule," Jacob started, but Sam just shook her head.

"What did you do?" She didn't want to believe that he had done what he insinuated.

"I talked to him a few days ago. He used to be married, but his wife ran away after their first child died in an accident. They are officially divorced, which makes him eligible for re-marriage."

"Dad…" Sam whispered, just shaking her head, staring at her father with wide eyes. Her shock about what her father was undoubtedly trying to tell her was even bigger than before. "Dad, please no…"

"He agreed to take you as his wife, Sam. We already signed the contract, and I handed it in with the authorities two days ago. I got the confirmation today, it was approved. Since he's a positive, they won't force you to go through official procedures even if they find out about your test."

"Oh God, dad…" Sam replied, her voice breaking, as she helplessly started crying now. "Why did you do that?" She looked heart-broken – like he had betrayed her in the worst way a father could possibly do. Maybe he had, Jacob mused quietly. But he had done it for her own good.

"Sam… honey…" He took her hands again, pressing them softly. "It's the only way to…"

"No!" she snapped suddenly, still crying. "Why did you even erase my test results if you planned on doing their job then? I know you think it makes a difference, but for me it really doesn't! Whether you force marry me off, or they do…"

Her words hurt him, she knew that, she could see it in his eyes, but at that moment she didn't care.

"He's a good man, Sam. Wait until you two get to know each other, and you will see that he has a lot to offer that can benefit you."

Sam pulled her hands out of her fathers. "How could you do that? Going behind my back like that?" She shook her head. "You could have informed me or talked to me about the possibility and then let me make the choice! Why couldn't you just… let me make my own decision?"

"Decision?" he said, his voice getting harder now, when he saw that she was seriously starting to oppose the arrangement. "What decision was there to be made for you, Sam? Did you think you'd have anything to say in who you would marry with the Aschen government? Or when you want to marry? Did you think they would let you choose anything?"

"No… I know they wouldn't. But now you're no better than them, dad!" She shook her head. "Did it ever even occur to you that I might be able to make my own choices? Like bringing this guy home so that I could meet him and decide for myself? God, how old is he?!" She fisted her hands and shook her head, rage now taking over, repressing her feelings of hurt and despair.

"Sam, he's only sixteen years older than you. I know, at your age that sounds like a lot, but wait until you are older. He will treat you with respect, and he will protect you."

"Oh for heaven's sake, dad! I can take care of myself! I don't need protection," Sam exploded, and started pacing around. "That is just the problem, you never trusted me to be able to do that. You made sure I got all those expensive teachers to learn everything about the world, and the universe. But you never, just once, trusted me to be strong enough to use all that I learned to stand up for myself!"

"Sam, enough!" Jacob said, sharply now, raising his voice. "I have never wanted anything less than your best, and for you to be happy, and you know that."

"Marrying an older man I don't even know? That's my best? That's going to make me happy? GOD, dad, that's so medieval of you! You know what, we live in the 20th century? Forced marriages went out of fashion over 100 years ago," she snapped and Jacob got up, his face showing anger and relentlessness.

"Sam! Enough!"

"No dad, I'm only just beginning!" Sam fumed. "You can tell this, this guy, this friend of yours that the contract is off! I refuse to be his wife…"

"The contract is binding!" Jacob yelled at her now. Sam stared at him, her lips pressing together, and then she merely turned around and walked to the door.

"Sam! Samantha! Where are you going?"

"I have a date with my boyfriend, dad!" she merely informed him coldly and slammed the door shut in his face.

"SAM!" Jacob yelled angrily now, getting up from his desk to rush after her. "Don't you dare leave this house! … SAM!"

The slamming of the front door only 5 seconds later told him that she did not care what he had to say anymore. He sank back in his chair and buried his face in his hands. The entire situation was messed up. It was quite obvious, that she was going to tell Jonas about what happened.

Well…

Jacob got up, his face hard. If she didn't take his word about what Jonas' reaction would be, she would have to learn the hard way. She'd be back, and then she would hopefully realize that whatever relationship she believed herself to have with this Aschen was an illusion. Then they would talk again – and she would hopefully have a more reasonable perspective concerning the matter.

It was already dark out, when Sam slowly walked back towards her father's house through the fields. Normally she would have been able to see the lights of the main city of Washington from the little hill, but tonight the pouring rain and mild fog that rose up from the grass prevented that. Not that she cared for the lights, or the rain; or the fact that her clothing was soaked through from the water.

Tears were streaming down her face, mingling with the raindrops that hit her skin from the sky above. Her entire world had shattered to pieces in a matter of a few hours; first her father's revelation, and then Jonas' reaction to it. She could still see expression on Jonas' face change when she told him the truth.

_"Jonas, I am more than just an adventure to you, aren't I?"_

_"Of course, sugar." He had replied, and tried to kiss her, but she evaded his lips._

_"You really do love me, like you always say?"_

_He had laughed softly. "Of course I do. What's the matter?"_

_"You wouldn't leave me, would you? No matter what happened?"_

_"Sam, what is going on?"_

Then she had told him about her test – and his face had changed. Just like that, from one moment to the other. It had become distant suddenly. His upper body that had been turned towards her while they were kissing and making out, had turned away from her, and he had withdrawn his hand from her like she had just confessed to him that she was infected with some kind of rare disease.

Deep inside, Sam had known the truth then. But she just didn't want to believe it. She had tried to talk to him, tried to assure him that nothing had changed, but he had merely looked at her with such disgust in his eyes, that it had shocked her.

_"Nothing changed?" he had asked. "You just told me you qualify for breeding, and you say nothing changed?" He had laughed bitterly. "What, do you think I am willing to risk having an offspring with you? A mixed blood? Allow my child to be inferior?"_

_"Inferior?" Sam had asked almost tonelessly and shook her head when the implication of his statement became clear to her. "You think of me as inferior?"_

_He had just stood up and looked down at her like one would look at a stray dog. "I am Aschen." He had then replied and turned around to walk away. After a few meters he had turned his head again. "You are human. Your race is only still here, because we need you to work our fields. You're no more than slaves."_

_She hadn't been able to believe what she heard, and had jumped up to run after him and grab his arm to make him turn around. "You dated me for over half a year! You said that you loved me!"_

_He had just eyed her coldly and then smiled. "It was fun, Sam. You were easy to get, and easy to keep. Granted, it was a pain in the butt you refused to sleep with me, but all things considered now, I guess I can be thankful for that. I enjoyed having you around while it lasted."_

_"Like… a dog," she had stated, matter-of-factly, her voice suddenly void of all emotion and just as cold as his. _

_"Well, dogs certainly don't make a scene like this once they are given away," he had replied. "Go home Sam… go to your own people."_

And she had done so. She had turned around and walked away from him, even if it was only for the fact that her eyes were burning and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. His words cut deep. The first person she had loved with all her heart had never considered her to be anything else but a slave. And worst of all, she had never realized it. He had played with her – like a child played with a toy that was just discarded once it lost its appeal.

She hadn't cared when the rain set in, and when it soaked her clothes. It didn't matter anymore. She felt like a zombie as she was blindly walking home through the fields. She didn't even quite know how she made it home, or how long it took her. Suddenly, she felt the cold doorknob of the front door in her hand, and saw herself open it, as if she wasn't even present.

When she was standing in the entrance hall, she didn't bother to ring for Minny to help her out of her clothes. Almost as if sleepwalking, she went through the entrance hall straight into the kitchen. She left the kitchen in the same way, one of the large knives in her hand. As she climbed the stairs her father came out of his study, alarmed by the sound of footsteps. He called her name, but she didn't react and kept on walking. He didn't see the knife.

When she had entered the room and shut the door behind her, he decided it would be better to let her cool down. He could imagine what had happened and assumed, she would see things more clearly now. They would talk in the morning, once she had calmed down.

He didn't know that as soon as she was in her room, she dropped to her knees in front of her large mirror and stared at her reflection, as new tears came to her eyes.

Slave…

The word kept echoing in her head over and over again, and it became clear to her how accurate that insult would be actually – how accurate it had always been. She would be just a slave from now on. She had always been one. Every single human was. They were absolutely powerless against the Aschen. Her worth would only depend on how many children her body was going to be able to bear before she eventually either died from the constant physical strain, or reached an age where she could no longer conceive children.

The moment, the cold blade made contact with her wrist, Sam shuddered for a moment, gathering her courage to make the first cut. She readjusted her seat, so that she wouldn't fall when she passed out, and cause either Minny or her father to come up and find her before it was too late. She had everything planned out in her head, played the scenario through in her mind dozens of times on her way home. It was her only way out. Her only way to be free. Her only way to escape that hell that was lying ahead of her.

Until suddenly, while readjusting, her foot hit something, followed by the rumbling sound of falling books. It was one of her astronomy books that she had knocked off the pile of books on the ground. She was taken aback by the sudden sound that interrupted her suicidal reverie and, almost in trance, she picked it up. It had fallen open, the page with one of the star charts open and Sam just stared at it for a few moments, then she lifted her eyes to look at herself in the mirror again.

And suddenly the images started to form in her had. She did have a choice, another option. Earth needed to get rid of the Aschen. It was the only way for them to live a normal live, and to be able to someday walk through that Stargate. It was the only chance for HER to live a self-determined life and to become strong. Her facial expression became more determined. There was only one way to do that.

She put the book down and lifted the knife. Almost hypnotized she stared at herself when the first strand of hair dropped to the ground, severed from its root by the sharp metal blade of the knife. It was complicated to cut her hair off with the knife so eventually she got up and grabbed the scissors from her desk. The more hair fell to the ground, the more frantically she worked to cut it off – all of it, until she was left with very short strands that were hanging kind of messy around her head. She looked boyish.

Wild.

Free.

Satisfied, she put the instrument down and looked down at her fallen hair, then back up to touch her face. She looked different, even to herself. Stronger. More independent. Almost disgusted she grabbed the strands of blonde hair that were lying scattered on the ground and put them in the little garbage can in her room. Samantha Carter was dead, she decided. She had died out there on the field today. Samantha Carter had been a slave, a stupid, naïve girl, a victim of the Aschen and of her circumstance. Sam Carter would not be a slave. Ever. To anybody. Sam Carter would stand on her own, learn how to fight and find a way to join the resistance if it existed.

She went to her closet and grabbed a few clothes out to examine them, then she shook her head. They were all girly, naive, innocent – they fit the person she had been yesterday, but not the person she was determined to become. She opened her door carefully, and peeked out, then sneaked over the small balustrade over to the other side where her youngest older brother's old room was. There she searched through his drawer until she had found what she was looking for.

Less than two hours later, when everybody else was asleep, she sneaked out of the house. She would not return. Not until she had found what she was searching for. Not until she had shown the Aschen – and her own father – that she was nobody's slave.


	3. Chapter 2 - Survivor

_Thanks to **esmejasper** for her continuing support as my beta-reader! She's taking the time to revise all the old chapters in addition to the new ones so she really deserves some praise! :)_

**Chapter 2 - Survivor**

With a soft sigh, Sam looked at the few silver coins in her hand while she pulled the cape closer around her neck to protect herself from the cold wind and the icy rain. Seven coins…

That would not even last her for the next couple of days – provided that she didn't abstain from buying food.

It had never occurred to her, how expensive just the bare necessities were. She had never had to buy her own food or pay rent for a dilapidated little room in a house which looked like it was on the brink of falling down. Minny had taken care of the household finances, and gotten food from the market weekly, and although Sam had accompanied her on occasion, she had never had to pay.

She had thought the roughly two-hundred silver coins of savings that she had taken would get her a long way. She gave a bitter little chuckle at her naivety.

Sam was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice that she had stopped in the middle of the street. She gasped, when a taller man walked right into her from behind, and then started yelling at her about stopping so suddenly and standing in the way. He was obviously drunk, Sam realized when she turned around and smelled the alcohol on his breath, and his eyes widened when her soft facial features betrayed to him that she was a woman.

Something in his expression changed, and a grin stole onto his face.

Okay, Sam thought quietly, time to go. She knew that kind of facial expression. She had seen it countless times over the past few weeks.

Living in her father's home near Washington in an almost pastoral area, it had never occurred to her that there could be less pleasant places to live on Earth. Now that she was in the real world, she had learned really fast and really soon how spoiled she actually was. Friendliness and kindness were virtues that she had learned quickly to not expect from anyone. Daily showers were a luxury that she couldn't afford anymore – mainly because pensions that offered showers were way above what she could afford at the moment.

Her search for the resistance led her into the backstreets and harbors that were usually never talked about among the population. For good reason: the Aschen government was always trying to maintain the belief that crime was nearly non-existent.

That however was a myth, as Sam had learned very fast. The backstreets and harbors – sometimes even entire districts in smaller towns – were filled with crime, poverty and anger. It was surprising, with all the farmland on Earth, that something like poverty still existed. However, Sam learned that most of the misery resulted from alcohol and drug abuses that rendered people unable to lead a normal life.

Other people were voluntarily committing themselves to a life of crime by smuggling forbidden substances or objects, such as weapons. And even slavery and prostitution were still very much alive, as she herself had come to experience a few days ago.

The thought of the fat, slimy looking man who had asked her if she wanted to earn a few silver coins, still made her shudder. She had been naïve enough to believe that he was talking about honorable work, so she had followed him. Her shock had been immense, when, suddenly, in a backyard, he had pushed her up against the wall and started kissing and groping her.

Desperately she had tried to push him away, frantically asking him to stop; but that only seemed to fuel his desire. Finally, when he had broken away from her lips to hushedly ask her if ten silver coins would be enough for an hour, she had started yelling for help – which had drawn an older woman out of one of the nearby houses. She had immediately started cursing in the most obscene way that Sam had ever heard, and beat her attacker with a broom, which allowed Sam to break free and stumble away from him.

"How often do I need to tell you to keep your dirty, perverted little games out of my backyard, you goddamned son of a…" The dark-haired woman screeched while she kept beating the man. Finally she turned to Sam with an expression of anger on her worn, aged face. She had to have once been beautiful, Sam thought quietly, but apparently the rough street life had not been good to her. "And you!"

"Thank you for…" Sam started, but didn't even get to finish.

"You little slut! At least have the decency to get a room somewhere! Just taking your customers into the next best backyard, is that what they teach you nowadays?"

"Listen… this is a misunderstanding, I wasn't…"

"SCRAM! And if you ever let me catch sight of you again, I swear…"

Sam hadn't waited for the woman to finish her threat. She had spun around and started running as fast as she could. It was then, that she had realized, that she could not expect friendliness or even helpfulness from people she met here.

She shuddered softly at the memory now and pulled the cape even closer around her, turning away to leave the main street, before the man who had bumped into her could make her an offer. When she reached a calm corner, she stopped and sank against the cold wall behind her in exhaustion. She longed for a warm meal, a hot bath and a soft bed to sleep in, but those were luxuries that she couldn't afford at the moment.

Not with seven silver coins anyway.

Maybe she should just return home to her father. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. No, that was not an option. It would just affirm him in his idea that she couldn't take care of herself. No matter how hungry she got, she would not crawl back to her father for help.

Sam sighed and opened her eyes, staring at the dirty silver in her hands. Maybe accepting one of the offers wouldn't be too bad. Maybe it would get her enough money to spend a safe night somewhere in a nice pension. It would only be an hour – and how bad could that sex thing be anyway?

Very bad, she decided. At least if it was with one of those stinky, fat guys that kept making her offers. Besides, she would not sink low enough to prostitute herself – especially, because she was aware of how dangerous it was for her. The chances that one of these worn down, drunk guys was gifted were slim, but still a very real possibility. And the last thing she needed was to become pregnant with some alcoholic stranger's baby.

Somewhere in this town there had to be a temporary job. Maybe she could repair things here and there for a small amount. That was what she was good at: repairs and technology. Somebody had to have use for that kind of skill…

"Please, just for one day! I can fix anything, and if you don't like my work you don't have to pay me!" Sam begged, but the grumpy old shop owner shook his head.

"I barely have enough work to keep myself busy! Besides, kid, you look barely old enough to be able to do what you claim you can do!"

Sam sighed in frustration, thinking that posing as a boy certainly wasn't making things easier on her. True, it kept the perverts away, but in order to mask her face, she had to use coal and dirt – which did make her look like a boy; a very dirty, run-down looking boy, but male nonetheless.

"Please, I'm begging you! I need a job – just for a few days!"

"I can't help you!"

She was about ready to start crying. She was hungry, and she hadn't slept for almost two days because she couldn't afford even the cheapest room anymore. Falling asleep in one of the backyards or smaller side-streets was too risky. Despite her disguise she still feared that in a vulnerable state of sleep, somebody might take advantage of her. She needed money. Soon.

Apparently her face reflected her feelings, for suddenly the old shop owner's face softened. "Listen, I heard earlier that they are looking for a crew for one of the harvesters to go overseas. It would be machinery work, and only be for one trip, but it will pay 100 coins. Go to the harbor, and ask for Drew. I cannot promise you anything, but maybe he can help you."

"Thank you!" Sam replied enthusiastically. "I will! Thank you so much!"

Working as a mechanic assistant in one of the Aschen harvesters: that she could manage. She was familiar with Aschen technology, and a quick study. As long as she didn't lose her cover as a boy, she should be fine.

However, apparently the rumor that the Aschen were offering work on a harvester had spread like wildfire through the little town. When Sam arrived at the harbor, and beheld the long line of strong, muscular men in line to apply for a job on the team, her hopes sank. There was no way that they would accept her.

She was just about to turn and leave again, when suddenly one of the guards securing the fence to the dock held her back. "HEY! YOU! Carlos, get over here! Look at this one!"

Sam looked at the man with suspicion in her eyes, unsure of what to expect.

"What about him, will he do?"

"Well… he's tall, but he should be slim enough to work on the pipe maintenance. At least he's the slimmest I've seen today! Come here, kid! You looking for work on the harvester?"

Sam nodded, remaining silent because she didn't want them to be alerted by her high voice.

"Do you know how to handle tools and how to repair things?"

She nodded again.

"Good enough for me. Let him in! And tell Drew, that we've found our pipe boy. Payment will be 50 coins."

"Um… excuse me." Sam faked the deepest voice she was capable of. "I was told that payment would be 100 coins."

"Who told you that?"

"Old Mallory from the repair shop on tenth street."

"Old Mallory sent you?" The man named Carlos asked, the name apparently ringing a bell. Sam nodded, although, technically it was not entirely true. He hadn't sent her, he had merely informed her that she might be able to find work here – but then again, who cared for minor details like that. "Well, if Old Mallory sent him, he has to have something on the ball."

"Fine, 100 silver coins – but you better be worth the money, boy, or we'll drop you into the Atlantic ocean, understood?"

Sam hurried to nod and then moved to the gate, where the guards let her in.

"Sign here."

She signed: Sam Carter. It sure was an advantage to have a nickname that usually served as a boy's name.

"Alright, Sam. Carlos is going to show you the crew quarters. We'll leave at dusk, so make sure to get some rest. Payment will be made upon arrival in three days. Prepare yourself for some hard work, kid!"

The work was hard, indeed. It didn't take long for Sam to understand why they had hired her. The corn-pipes needed serious maintenance, and for that they needed a person slim enough to fit into the small tubes. At first, Sam had to fight serious feelings of claustrophobia, but soon the work made her forget all about the things that could possibly go wrong.

Screws needed to be checked, minor holes in the metal corn tubes needed to be sealed, rust needed to be eliminated. They were working every single worker in 16-hour shifts, and then allowing them an 8-hour break – which was barely enough to sleep and eat.

On the third day, Sam felt that she was at her limits. She was exhausted, completely drained and longed for a shower to scrub the dirt off herself. The pressure to keep up her cover as a boy added to her state. Finally, when the harvester docked on the West Coast of Ireland, she felt like she was being released from hell.

On the plus side, they paid her a 20% bonus, because apparently, she had exceeded their expectations and advanced their maintenance schedule considerably by her fast and thorough work. She kindly declined the offer to stay onboard and complete the rest of the maintenance – although the 200 silver coins they offered her sure sounded attractive. However, she was certain that she would break down if she spent another day with so little sleep and almost no food.

The first thing she wanted to do was find a cheap pension, take a shower and have a long sleep in a real bed. And then she would think about how to proceed from here. She was a long way from home, and an even longer way from finding the resistance.


	4. Chapter 3 - Strangers

_I know that this is weird, but please stick with me. Jack is not as evil as he seems... ;)_

_Thanks to **esmejasper** for the wonderful beta-read!_

**Chapter 3 - Strangers**

It was a dark, gloomy place, and Sam couldn't help feeling more than a little uncomfortable when she entered the shady forest bar. People in the nearby town had told her how to find this place.

What they had failed to mention was, that this bar was a good distance away from town – a good distance away from any houses. And it was obviously frequented by very questionable people, judging from the grim looks on their faces. Just the kind of establishment that the Ashen were so fixated on banning: a haven for smugglers, dealers and other criminals.

Even though in Ireland, areas of misery and high crime rates were a lot rarer – mostly due to the fact that Ireland, with its green fields and low population, provided plenty of work for anybody who needed a job – even here, Sam had occasionally run into some smaller communities that were ruled by shady people.

Luckily for her, though, without those shady figures she wouldn't be here. Two nights ago she had overheard two men in a bar talking about the resistance. They had apparently been arms dealers, who were regularly providing them with weapons. And they had mentioned that one of the resistance leaders was in town, and that he would be in this bar on Thursday night – as he was every Thursday night when he was in the area. Fate had been kind to her, and Sam knew that.

She kept the head cover of her cape in place as she made her way to the rotten looking counter that was served by an obese bartender in his fifties.

"Hi," she said, moving up to sit on one of the barstools. A somewhat rotten looking man in his forties was oogling her with interest from a table close by, and she returned his stare darkly until he looked away. "I am looking for a man here."

"Uh huh," the bartender mumbled without interest, busy drying a glass with a dirty looking towel. "And I am here to sell drinks, not chat."

"Alright," Sam nodded, and pulled out a few silver coins, "Give me a beer."

He looked at her suspiciously, still chewing on the toothpick he had in the left corner of his mouth. "I don't think so, lad, you barely seem to be of age judging from your voice."

Sam rolled her eyes and eventually removed her cape, revealing the fact that she was not at all a man. The bartender's eyes grew wide when he saw her short-cut, rather disheveled looking hair and her feminine facial features. She was a woman, but definitely older than 18, he decided, and then poured a beer into the freshly dried glass. When he put it down in front of her he bent over and murmured, "Lady, I don't think it's wise for a woman to be in a place like this at this hour – alone. My customers here are not the honorable kind, and we're far from any Aschen justice stations. And I make it a policy not to interfere with their business, so if you get into trouble…"

"What makes you think I cannot take care of myself?" she replied back, sounding braver than she felt inside. "Now, since we're chatting so nicely already, maybe you can answer my question: I am looking for a contact here. Somebody in town told me that I would be able to meet somebody who is a member of the resistance here today. Where can I find that person?"

The man looked at her through narrowed eyes and then straightened out. "I can't help you."

"Please, I've come all this way…"

"You should leave while you still can," he advised her. "Don't get involved with things you know nothing about."

Sam sighed and turned her head to look around in the bar. Several faces were turned towards her now, eyeing her with interest and some of them with lusty eyes. She knew that she had to be making quite an impression: blonde-shortcut hair, tight pants, and the rather loose black shirt from her brother that was falling over her shoulder. But most startling of all had to be the fact that a woman wearing pants and short hair would be in a place like this around midnight.

In rural areas – and Ireland consisted only of rural areas - most women were restricted to household duties. Those few that could still bear children were especially guarded, nearly shielded away from the world. No woman was ever seen with short, boyish hair wearing pants, especially not at night in a shady bar – unless she was a prostitute.

Undoubtedly, she had to be careful about these guys. The grins some of them shot her could only make her guess what kind of naughty thoughts were going through their minds at that moment.

Then her eyes met those of a man sitting in a corner all by himself. He caught her attention because he was different from the others: he looked kempt (at least compared to the other figures in the room). His hair was dark brown and beginning to gray at the temples, which led her to conclude that he was of a certain age, and his overall appearance was that of an honorable person, and not that of a criminal. He was neatly shaven and clean; certainly different from most of the others here. And on top of that, he wasn't leering at her, or undressing her with his eyes. His expression showed sincere interest, serious curiosity and just the hint of surprise.

She realized that she had probably been staring at him a bit too long when he eventually lifted his glass with the hint of a smirk towards her. Quickly, she turned away. No need to encourage anybody with gestures that might be mistaken as flirtatious. Especially because, as she had experienced, appearances could be very deceiving.

She lifted her glass and was just about to take a sip, when she noticed that some kind of indefinable lumps floated around in her beer – undoubtedly the result of the very questionable hygiene standards of this place. Wincing slightly in disgust, she put the glass back down and leaned over the counter.

"Excuse me!" she called the bartender who turned around with raised eyebrows. "Could I have another beer that doesn't have flies floating around in it?"

Her tone was friendly, but the older man snapped back with a grumpy undertone, "If you don't like the beverages I suggest you leave!"

"I will leave," she retorted sharply, "as soon as I got what I came for. But since you're unwilling to help me…"

"Listen, Miss…" he snapped, and was about to grab her over the counter when a voice interrupted them.

"What's going on?"

Sam turned her head and was looking at the grayish-haired man whom she had studied before. He was almost half a head taller than she was – a lot more than she had estimated from seeing him sitting in that darkened corner. It was rare for her to meet somebody who was taller than her, given her height of almost 6 feet. Normally, she could see eye to eye with the people she met.

"Not at all… this lady just refuses to take no for an answer." The bartender informed him impatiently.

"I merely requested a new beer since mine is quite obviously spoiled!" Sam corrected his statement politely but firmly.

"You heard the lady, O'Brian. Get her a new one." The man said in a friendly way, but there was an expression in his eyes that was deadly serious and did not allow for contradictions.

Mumbling something that was apparently anything but friendly into his beard, the bartender turned to get a new glass and filled it with fresh beer.

"You have to excuse his manners," the man next to her told Sam now with a smile, a flirtatious glint in his eyes. "He is not used to normal customers. Most people here are already so drunk when they enter this bar that they don't even notice if their beer is spoiled."

She nodded dismissively, very careful not to appear too friendly, or worse, inexperienced. He didn't have an Irish accent, she realized. In fact, she could not determine where he was from at all by his accent. He spoke a very standardized dialect that was usually only heard from people who had been around a lot, or who lived in areas which consisted of a heavy Aschen population – since it was the standard dialect that the Aschen spoke, without any kind of regional inflections.

"Jack O'Neill," he finally introduced himself. "And you are…?"

"Someone who is absolutely not interested," she replied back coldly and he winced.

"Ouch." He signaled O'Brian, the bartender, to give him another glass of beer, when the man put the new one in front of Sam. Then he turned again to face the woman in front of him. "Not even a name?"

"Listen… Jack O'Neill," she started, friendlier than before since she realized she was being unnecessarily rude. "I know what you think. Well, I know what most of those guys over there think. But I am really not one of those women, nor can I be in some way bought, persuaded or enticed to have sex with you in any way, shape or form. It's not why I came, and it's not going to be how I leave. Understood?"

He raised his eyebrows in astonishment and then lifted his beer towards her. "Crystal clear." He sat down on the chair next to her – a fact she took note of with annoyance, but didn't comment on. After all, he was free to sit wherever he liked, and she was not keen on drawing unnecessary attention to herself by starting a fight over seating arrangements. For a long moment, both of them were silent, just sipping quietly at their drinks, before eventually Jack turned towards her.

"What are you here for then?"

"None of your concern." Her reply was curt, sharp and cold, and her tone would have prevented any kind of further conversation from other people that she knew. He, however, seemed to be different.

"Okay, just thought I might be of help to you."

"Hardly."

"Gotta say, you sure stand your ground," he replied with a smirk, ignoring the dark glance that she shot at him. "At least allow me to buy you another drink – then I promise to leave you alone."

"No strings attached?"

"Of course not."

"Fine, if you insist," she responded without looking at him, and kept staring into her glass. She had to give him that, he seemed to be well-mannered and to some degree even honorable, and she was probably not doing him justice by dismissing him so rudely, but she had to keep focused on her mission. She was moving through dangerous territory and if she lost that focus, she might find herself in another unpleasant or even potentially life-threatening situation.

Over her absent stare she did not notice the subtle hand gesture that Jack O'Neill made towards the bartender; or his barely noticeable nod in return; or how he vanished with the empty glass to get beer from the back room.

When she received the new glass, she didn't think twice about taking the first sip. Jack got up from his chair before he lifted his glass towards her again.

"Well then, stranger… hope you find what you're looking for." With those words, he was about to leave, when her calling his name gently made him turn around once more.

"Jack…" He looked at her puzzled, but intrigued, and she smiled faintly, "Thanks for the drink."

"My pleasure." Without any further words he went back to his corner, and sat back down, his dark eyes never leaving her out of his sight.

Sam could feel that he was still looking at her. Every now and then she turned her head and their eyes met. Yes, he was different, but there was definitely something in his eyes that made her cautious; something relentless; something that could be dangerous.

She took her time finishing her beer, and then eventually put the empty glass back down onto the counter. "Thanks for the help," she said sarcastically to the bartender, angry at herself that she had failed so miserably at this first chance in weeks to become a member of the resistance.

She would have to come up with a new plan, and she had to start looking for work again, since she was running out of money. Giving up was out of the question – but she had certainly not imagined that making contact with the resistance would prove to be such an impossible task.

Sam slid down the chair to leave, but to her own surprise, her legs felt weak – almost like pudding – and she had to place her hands on the chair to keep herself from falling. She gripped the counter to steady herself, at first assuming that her legs had fallen asleep while she was sitting on the uncomfortable barstool.

Soon, however, when she slowly walked towards the door, she began to suspect that it was not just her legs that were affected. The dizziness hit her almost the instant she started walking and she tumbled against the wall, desperately trying to steady herself, without letting anybody know how she was feeling. The way that those men had leered at her, she suspected that they would not hesitate to take advantage of her state immediately if they became aware of it.

She had almost reached the door, when she felt a warm body next to her, strong arms holding her up around her waist.

"Come on, just a few more steps," a low, familiar voice said, not far from her ear. Sam turned her head, and through a clouded vision she recognized the face of Jack O'Neill.

"I'm not feeling so good…" she murmured. "I think, I'm gonna…" …pass out, was what she had wanted to say, but her last words became an unintelligible mumble.

Jack opened the door and quickly led her outside, where the cool night air seemed to bring her at least partly back to her senses.

"Oh… God…" she murmured, trying to push him away and walk a few steps on her own, but the instant she had lost his steadying grip, she dropped to the forest floor and the world started to spin in front of her eyes.

"I was drugged…" she murmured more to herself, but he heard it nonetheless. "Something was… in my drink… you! What did you do?"

She was smart, he mused quietly with a considerable amount of surprise. Smart and beautiful – that combination was definitely rare, albeit intriguing. He eyed the young woman with a hint of concern.

"It's gonna be okay," he tried to calm her when she hit at him in an uncoordinated way. "You're going to be fine, you will just sleep for a few hours." He picked her up in his arms. Despite the fact that she was slender, she was heavy, due to her height, and he would have preferred to just throw her over his shoulder, but he wasn't sure what effect the drug was going to have on her, and he really didn't want her to throw up and hang upside down while doing so.

"No…" Her arms weakly hit his shoulders. She could barely keep her head up, and eventually it just fell against his shoulder. She was out.

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 4 - Mistaken Identity

**_Author's Notes_**

_Longest chapter so far! ;) A few words real quick though:_

_A few of you seem to be under the impression that Jack knows that Sam is his wife? O.o I am not sure how that happened, I might have to revise the previous chapters in that regard. Jacob never showed Jack a photo of Sam (he just described her to him). As a matter of fact, Jacob didn't even tell Jack her first name, so Jack has no idea that she is his wife._

_I did that for a simple reason: I wanted to be able to construct Sam's development into a strong fighter; I really wanted to explore that aspect of her – simply because we never saw it on the show. And I felt that, if Jack knew Sam was his wife, the reader would be left with the shallow feeling of "ah, well, she only got in/got promoted/got that assignment because she's his wife". _

_Also, the side-effect of neither of them knowing who the other really is offers the opportunity for some delightfully complex story-plots and entanglements as the story progresses._

_And last but not least: Please be kind with the spelling/grammar mistakes. English is not my first language, and I don't have a beta-reader to assist me with the mistakes.I try to do my best with revisions, but I am painfully aware, that some mistakes still slip through the cracks._

**Chapter 4 – Mistaken Identity**

The first thing that Sam realized when she woke up was that she was not lying in her own bed. The second thing was, that she was not lying in a bed at all, but rather on a filthy, yellowed, rotten-smelling mattress that had been carelessly thrown on the ground of what looked like an even filthier barn.

She lifted her head and moaned instantly when a headache hit her hard. Moaning, she dropped back onto the mattress, when the happenings of the previous night slowly came back to her. She had been at a bar, trying to get in contact with one of the resistance leaders. She had had drinks, and she had been drugged.

Drugged!

With a shocked gasp she lifted her head again, and pulled the thin blanket off of her body.

The fact that she was still fully clothed in the same clothes that she had worn yesterday told her that at least that she hadn't been raped. Yet. She didn't know if that was a good thing though – if it was to happen, she'd rather it had happened while she was still unconscious. Except for the drug-induced headache, she didn't seem to have any injuries at all.

She moaned again and rolled off the mattress. Her mouth felt dry and she desperately longed for some water, but this craving had to be of secondary concern. More importantly, she needed to find a way out of here. She moved towards one of the big barn doors on all fours, and used it to slowly and shakily lift herself up on her two legs. She was still feeling slightly dizzy, but the effect of the drug seemed to dissolve more and more by the minute.

Weakly, she tried to open the barn door. Of course, it was locked.

Slowly, she made her way to one of the windows, and her hands touched the metal bars that were set into the wood. With a frustrated little sound, she tried shaking them lose with both hands, but failed. There was no way that this was an old barn. The metal bars had been put in recently, the metal was still shining in the sun, and the wooden front door looked quite new as well.

Sam looked up to the hayloft. There had to be a window or some kind of access door up there to easily shovel the hay out. Maybe she could find a way out there.

Carefully, she climbed up the ladder to the upper level and crawled onto the second floor carefully. Then she looked around.

"Don't waste your time up there, it's locked, too." A voice suddenly startled her.

Sam looked back down to find Jack O'Neill standing in the middle of the barn, looking up at her as she was scanning her surroundings. He was good-looking, she realized now in her still mildly drug-induced haze, and for a split second she thought it was odd that she hadn't noticed his attractiveness the night before. But then again those happenings were merely a blur anyway. He also didn't have the looks of a man who was about to kill her, or hurt her; however, looks could be deceiving, so it was better to be prepared for anything.

She realized immediately that any attempt at fleeing would be futile so she decided to sit down in between the hay, not leaving the man out of her sight. "Alright. Why don't you tell me what you want then?"

He smirked amused, and folded his arms in front of his chest, his eyes never leaving the young woman. "Why don't you come back down here and we can talk."

She had noticed the gun that he was wearing at his belt on the one side. On his other side, he was wearing a hunter's knife – so he was either a hunter or soldier. Or a psychopath, Sam added grimly in her mind.

"Oh I don't think so," she replied as fiercely as she could in her still weakened state. Then she lay back when a wave of nausea hit her anew. "God, what did you put in my drink last night?"

"Just a highly concentrated dose of benzo-benzodia-something. I can never remember what it's called."

"Date-rape substance?" Sam snapped incredulously, knowing immediately what he was talking about.

"It is the most effective sedative. Besides it has some psycho-active side effects which are very useful in interrogations."

Sam had read scientific articles about the substance once in one of the medical databases of the Aschen. No wonder that in a moment as severe as this with her life in possible danger she had dwelled on his physical attractiveness, she rationalized grimly. "Well, you missed your chance if your plan was to rape me. And if you plan on selling me as a slave, let me inform you now that I will earn a bad price. I suck at kitchen chores, I will resist and I will rather die than to surrender myself willingly to any…"

"Believe me, I am neither a rapist, nor a slave trader," he interrupted her, and she gave a somewhat ironic little snort as a response.

"You have to excuse me if I don't take your word for that. You know, seeing that you drugged and kidnapped me – both actions which can hardly be considered statements of friendliness."

"Well, if I wanted to rape you, don't you think I would have done so already?" Silence fell among them while she obviously processed this statement in her mind. Then he added with a hint of smugness in his voice, "Aside from the fact that I like women very much awake and responsive, I also usually don't need date rape drugs to seduce them."

She couldn't believe her own ears at his last comment, and peeked over the edge down at him with raised eyebrows, finding him smirking and looking up at her in flirtatious amusement. Did he really have the audacity to joke in a moment like this?

"Overconfident much?" she asked dryly. His face became more serious again, but his eyes kept holding hers. "Certainly you didn't go through all this trouble just to flirt with me," Sam stated matter-of-factly, and then moaned slightly and lay back down when another wave of nausea hit her.

"Come down here." His voice sounded firmer, and she was rather sure that he was not making a request but giving her an order now.

"No!" she replied firmly.

"Fine, then stay up there. Let's start by you telling me your name."

"You drugged me to get my name?" She asked incredulously. Her body was seriously demanding for fluids of any kind now, her throat feeling extremely dry. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that. I know you may not be used to smart women, but you gotta give me a bit more credit than that."

"I didn't say it was just for your name," he replied, and when she risked another look down at him, she saw that he had sat down on one of the hay bales.

"I need water," she suddenly informed him. "I really don't feel good."

"Here," Jack replied holding up a small bottle of water. "You gotta come down to get it, though."

Sam remained silent for a moment, considering her options. It wouldn't do her any good to remain up here until she would eventually pass out again from either the nausea or the thirst. She also couldn't stay up here forever. So it was better to face whatever was about to come with a clear mind, and she needed water in order to get there.

"Fine, I'll come down, if you promise to keep both knife and gun right where they are."

He raised his eyebrows. "Studying if I was armed, were ya? You won't be harmed if you don't try anything stupid and answer my questions, you have my word for that," he replied, and there was honesty on his face and in his voice that she trusted for the moment – what other choice did he give her anyway?

Slowly and carefully she climbed down the ladder, and then stepped towards him cautiously. He was still holding out the bottle of water towards her, and when she eventually reached him, she took it out of his hand, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You know, considering you drugged my drink last night, it might be a really stupid idea to take this water from you now." She raised her eyebrows, and tried to put on a dark, determined look. "You didn't drug it again, did you?"

"No," he replied curtly, his eyes still twinkling with amusement. "But if I did, I also wouldn't tell you, so that question is kinda pointless…"

"Of course you wouldn't." She nodded, and held his eyes for another moment as if fighting with herself about whether to trust him with the water, or take the safe road and withhold the much needed fluid from her body. The need for water finally won over her suspicion, and she sat down on one of the milking stools near the side at the wall that was opposite to where he was sitting – just so that she could keep an eye on him. Then she drank thirstily, emptying almost the entire bottle.

Almost instantly, she started to feel better.

"So," he started after a moment when the bottle was empty, "what's your name?"

She narrowed her eyes and then loosened up, "Kira."

He chuckled, and folded his arms. "Nice try. I'll give you another chance."

She lost her composure for a moment, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What makes you think my name is not Kira?"

"Your sudden compliance was more than a little suspicious. Next time you lie, try not to look so smug while doing it." The amused tone in his voice showed clearly that he was enjoying their little banter.

He didn't show or tell her, but she was without a doubt the most extraordinary woman he had ever met in his entire life. It was rare to meet a woman, who had brains, or was self-reliant, and so talking to her and finding out that she was smart, courageous and beautiful at the same time was a very refreshing surprise. The remaining question was just whether she was a friend or an enemy.

After a soft sigh, Sam finally straightened out. "Sam," she replied to his question, and he just kept looking at her in a very intense way.

"Sam," he repeated with a hint of audible disbelief in his voice.

"Sam," She affirmed, not moving a muscle as she held his eyes.

"That's a man's name."

"It's a short form for my forename. But I assure you it's who I am." She was becoming impatient with this line of questioning now.

"Alright… Sam. And your last name?" he further inquired.

"Carter." She really wasn't sure whether it was wise to give him her full name.

"Sam Carter…" he replied, aware that Carter was not exactly a rare last name. She might have just as well introduced herself as Jane Doe. For the moment however, he decided to believe her. "Okay, it's a start. Where do you come from, Sam?"

"A little town at the Pacific Coast of North America."

"Your dialect sounds more like you're coming from an area which is Aschen-dominated, like a bigger city."

"When I was younger, we often visited bigger towns. My father was a salesman for farm machinery, and so we traveled around a lot," she lied, hoping that he would believe what she was saying.

"Do you have family there?"

"Listen," she replied rather aggressively now, "Is this an interrogation?"

"I thought, we were just having a conversation," he replied, and then added in a more dangerous tone, "but if you wish, I can make it an interrogation. And I assure you, that you won't be this comfortable then. Your choice! So let me ask again: do you have any family?"

"No," she lied, holding his eyes as she did so. The last thing she needed was some kind of criminal blackmailing her father for money in exchange for her. She was determined to prove that she could take care of herself, and something like that would completely subvert that aim. She wasn't sure, whether he believed her or not, but he went on to the next question.

"What were you doing in the bar last night?"

"That's none of your business," she replied in a friendly way, "as I told you last night already."

"Okay, let me rephrase: you will tell me what you were doing there last night, or this situation will become a lot less pleasant for both of us." His tone was just as friendly as hers had been, but he could see her pale a little.

"I was looking for a resistance contact," she eventually opened up. "Somebody told me that I might find the person I was looking for there."

"And who is that?" His eyes narrowed, and he looked like he did not like what she was telling him.

"I don't know."

"Who told you about the contact and where to meet him." His voice became considerably more threatening and Sam tensed slightly.

"I don't know who they were…"

"They?!" Jack O'Neill asked and jumped up, visibly unsettled by her revelation. This sounded like a major security breach. Who the hell was willing to talk about the resistance this openly to a stranger?

Sam shrieked at his strong reaction and jumped up as well to be able to defend herself if the need arose. "Alright, I lied! Nobody told me! I overheard two arms dealers talk about a resistance contact at the 'Blue Leprechaun'. They said that somebody who is in the resistance would be in the 'Forest Elf' bar on Thursday, so I figured I would try my luck!"

"Why did you lie?"

"Because I thought that it would be more convincing and easier to get access to the resistance if I said that somebody gave me the information," she admitted, a lot less sure of herself now. Maybe the bar owner had been right, and she was in way over her head.

His eyes bore into hers, and Sam tried to hold his gaze and not let him know about her rising fear.

"Please, you have to believe me!" She held his eyes with hers and when he didn't say anything, but kept scrutinizing her, she eventually lost it, "I don't know what else to tell you because that's all I know! I came there last night to find that contact, but since the bartender behaved more than unwilling to help, as you might remember, it really was a wasted trip."

"Why the resistance? Are you an arms dealer?"

"No…" she sighed. "No, nothing like that."

"Any other criminal activities you're involved in? Like dealing in stolen goods? Smuggling?"

She stared at him and then started to laugh with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You really think I am a criminal?" Then she shook her head and said more to herself than to him, "I must look more intimidating than I thought."

"So," he got up, "you're neither a smuggler, nor an arms dealer. What could you possibly want from the resistance that badly then?" Slowly he walked towards her, an act which prompted her to slowly move backwards with every step that he took. He only stopped when she was standing right in front of him with her back against the wooden barn wall; so close that his breath washed over her face.

Inwardly, he had to commend her on her courage. If she was afraid, she definitely knew how to stand her ground. The only thing in her exterior behavior that betrayed any kind of fear was the fact that she had unconsciously been trying to get away from him. But now that he had her cornered, she didn't falter a bit even when he was standing so close to her. She stared firmly into his eyes.

"Are you an Aschen spy?" he asked dangerously low, hitting his hand hard against the wall next to her shoulder – a gesture which made her jump slightly.

No, he concluded quietly, she was definitely not a spy. Spies were trained to control their emotions, and most importantly, spies weren't as jumpy as she was. Granted, she was holding up quite well, but the way she behaved told him that she was an amateur and had never been trained for combat anywhere. He didn't allow his face to betray his thoughts though, as he wanted to observe her reaction.

"No! I'm not a spy!"

"Then what do you want from the resistance, for crying out loud," he snapped, his mouth now so close to hers that he could feel every single one of her ragged breaths hit his skin.

"I want to join!"

"Do you?"

Her widened blue eyes were showing the full extent of her panic now, and her entire body language had changed from that of a cool, cold-hearted criminal – that she had wanted to convey – to that of a very scared young woman.

She pressed herself desperately against the wall at her back, turning her head away from him in what was now full-fledged fear, when suddenly she realized something. He was so close to her, that it would take only one distinct move to steal either his gun or his knife. She didn't know how to handle guns, but she had learned how to handle knives. Her brother David had taught her when she had still been a child, before he had moved away.

In addition to that, the gun would probably be secured, whereas the knife wasn't, if she remembered correctly.

In a fast movement, she pushed against his chest to make him back away, while – only a second later – using her left hand to grab the knife out of its hold. Then she ducked away under his arm and ran to the front door, hearing him mutter a soft curse behind her.

The heavy door opened silently without a squeak, and Sam pressed her slim body through the small opening. She had not bothered to push the door open further than necessary, and worked hard to slam it shut behind her.

Then she turned around and blindly ran over what appeared to be a small farm, almost stumbling over some chickens which were peacefully pecking corn from the ground in the middle of the big court that was lined by smaller farm buildings. They clucked angrily and ran away when they saw her coming. She faltered, hurriedly looking around to assess her surroundings and her chances to escape on foot. There was nothing but farmland surrounding her, and she had absolutely no idea where she was.

"Sam, wait!" Jack's voice yelled behind her, betraying to her that he had opened the door and was following her. The young woman realized that she would have time to contemplate her surroundings later on. For now, the more pressing need was to find a place where she could hide and would not be found.

She followed the dirty path to the biggest farm building. After having passed the side of the house to run into the open field, she was forced to a dead stop when she found herself standing in front of a huge fence, apparently designed to protect the farmland from the farm animals. She cursed silently, and then ducked behind a small staircase that was leading into the house. Not one minute too early, for the next moment, Jack came running around the corner.

Sam tried to calm her breath, her fingers clasping the knife almost desperately. If he found her, she was ready to make use of the knife to defend herself.

She waited… and waited some more… but nothing happened and eventually she became impatient. Carefully she peeked over the small staircase. There was no sign of Jack, and she had no idea where he had disappeared to. Certainly he must have seen her run behind the house, and given the fence, there was no way where she could have escaped to. Had he gone into the house? But then she would have heard him walk up the stairs.

Suspiciously, she made her way along the grass to the corner of the house to carefully look around that corner as well. She didn't see any sign of him. But at the other end of the large yard, she saw something else. A hovercraft! Just the vehicle that she needed to get away from here, and drive into the nearest town to get help. Surely it couldn't be that far away – after all the people living on the farm had to get their supplies from somewhere.

Slowly and as silently as she could, she sneaked along the walls of the house. Crossing the yard would be tricky, because there was nowhere she could possibly hide, and that meant that she would be out in the open like a sitting duck. But if she was fast enough, she should be able to make it to the hovercraft. She knew how to bypass the security mechanisms that prevented somebody without a key from starting the ignition. Overall, it shouldn't take her more than ten seconds to do that. It was her best bet to get away anyway, so there was no need in debating with herself of whether or not she would have enough time.

Carefully she made her way over the yard, constantly looking over her shoulder. When she finally reached the barn where the hovercraft was parked, she exhaled relieved, looking around the yard one last time.

Then she turned around… and froze.

Jack O'Neill was standing next to the vehicle, not even 2 meters away from her, observing her with a half-amused expression on his face. Sam shrieked and held the knife protectively in front of her. "Get out of my way!"

"Trying to go somewhere? I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed, the hovercraft seems to be such an obvious choice. I kinda expected something a bit more creative after that little knife number that you pulled back there."

"Let me go!" She was desperately trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Can't do that," he replied, and then held his hand out. "Give me the knife, Sam. Then we will talk."

Frantically, Sam was looking for any way to reach the hovercraft, get on it, start the engine and drive away without him reaching her first. There was none, no matter which scenario she played through in her mind. Fine, if she didn't get away from here, she would at least make it as hard as possible for him to get a hold of her – and she would make sure to get some answers in the progress.

"Who are you?"

"I am Jack O'Neill." He replied. "I never lied to you about my name."

"Then why all the questions? Why do you need to know who I am, or what I was doing at the bar?"

He took a step towards her. "Calm down, give me the knife, and I will explain…"

"What are you going to do to me?" she interrupted him, weaker now, her eyes filling with tears that she desperately tried to fight back.

She was weakened from the aftereffects of the drug, she felt like she hadn't eaten anything for days, and the water had been hardly enough to get rid of her headache. The exhaustion started to catch up with her, and she realized that she couldn't keep this cat-and-mouse game up for long.  
It didn't take long for Jack to realize that she was at the brink of losing control. He had to be careful if he didn't want the situation to get out of control.

Still, he had to commend her on her resourcefulness, creativity and courage. He had seen adult men crave under less pressure, but she seemed to be determined not to give in. She would be a promising addition to his cell, he decided. Granted, she was untrained and her fighting was uncoordinated, but that was nothing that a few months of boot camp training couldn't fix. It was unusual to allow women in – there were only very few cases, simply due to the fact that women were not holding any influential positions in their world anyway. But he was willing to give her that chance to prove herself, if that was what she was after.

"Nothing." His voice was steady and calm. "I promise, you won't be harmed. Now give me the knife, Sam. You've shown that you can fight if you have to. The test is over now."

Slowly, she took a few small steps back, still not willing to surrender her knife to him. He sighed, and couldn't really blame her for it. For all she knew, he wanted to kill her.

"Sam, don't make this harder than it has to be, please. I won't harm you. You said you want to join the resistance…"

She didn't listen – and why should she, he thought grimly. He had seen how scared she was, and there was no way she was just going to surrender to him. She was in full-fledged survival mode. Maybe he had taken this a bit too far. He should have revealed himself to her right away, but he had had to determine first whether she was trustworthy.

Unexpectedly, she spun around and started to run. He immediately started after her. He had expected an attempt to run away, and the moment she had given in to this primal urge of escaping the dangerous situation, she had exposed her weak backside to him and given him the chance to pounce on her without fearing to be stabbed. It would have been easy for him to disarm her and bring her to the ground with a few close combat moves – but he really didn't want to hurt her.

He caught up with her after five meters, and grabbed her from behind. She tried to turn around and use her knife, but the way his arms grabbed a hold of her caused her to lose her grip on it, and her desperate attempt to keep the knife from falling resulted in her grabbing right into the blade with her open palm.

The piercing pain of the sharp blade cutting into the sensitive flesh of her palm made her shriek, and the shock made her lose all of her focus. She went numb against him, and all her attempts on resisting him faded.

That allowed him to pull her against his chest where he held her tightly, until he felt that she had calmed down. Then he gently loosened the grip, following her eyes down to her hand. She had severely cut her palm in the attempt to hold the knife, and blood was dripping from the long gash that the knife had inflicted.

"Oh crap…" he muttered, turning her around softly and pulling a cloth out of his back pocket. Gently, but with a distinct firmness to his touch, he took her hand and pressed the cloth against the wound. "Never," he then said, tipping his fingers under her chin almost gently to make her look up at him. "…try to grab a knife that you've lost control over. You'll need stitches for the wound, and it needs to be disinfected as soon as possible. Come with me."

He pulled her with him into the farmhouse, and they entered an old, apparently long-abandoned kitchen. He forced her to sit down on a wooden chair at an old kitchen table. "There's no medicine here, so this will have to suffice, until I can get you to the doctor. It'll hurt, but it's better than an infection."

She just looked at him blankly, without saying anything, watching him go through the cabinets until he had found an old bottle with the clear liquid in it. He poured her a glass and put it in front of her. "Drink up."

"Trying to drug me again?" She asked again weakly, her voice void of all emotion, and he smirked.

"No, but this is gonna hurt, and the alcohol will help against that." He observed, as she picked up the glass and took a sip of the strong alcohol. The next moment she winced and started coughing and gasping for air. He smirked. She really wasn't much of a drinker apparently.

Sam pushed the glass away from her. "This is disgust…" The next moment anything she had intended to say vanished, when he poured a good amount of the liquid in the bottle over the wound on her hand. She screamed in pain, trying to pull her hand out of his firm hold, but he wouldn't let it go until he was certain that the wound was cleaned. When he finally released it, tears of pain were streaming down her face and she was glaring up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Drink up!" he said again more forceful, and pushed the half-empty glass towards her again. Sam picked it up and then she did something that he had not expected or even remotely considered she might do. She threw it at him in an outburst of anger. He managed to evade the flying object at the last second, and stared at her completely put off for a moment.

"Bastard!" she yelled at him, her mind clouded from the pain, weakness, and the still very present aftereffects of the drug. She grabbed the bottle of alcohol from the table, and threw it at him as well, not caring that the liquid spilled everywhere as the glass shattered into thousands of pieces against the wall. "Who do you think you are?"

A plate followed.

"You drugged me!"

Another plate.

"You kidnapped me!" She desperately looked around for more things to throw, but couldn't find any – besides her hand was hurting to a point now where she felt like she was going to faint. "I'm done! DONE! With this! With you! Whatever it is you want from me, take it! But please, just let me go!" She sank to her knees, openly sobbing now as the pain from her hand drove her out of her mind. "Please…"

Carefully, he approached her when he realized that her outburst of aggression was over, and went to his knees in front of her. "I am who you were looking for, Sam." Gently, he pulled the side of her body against him. She was cold and shaking slightly, and for a moment he was really concerned that she was going into a state of shock.

Sam pushed at his chest weakly, half-heartedly, his words not reaching her consciousness. She didn't notice anything about her surroundings anymore, just the blinding pain in her hand.

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small syringe. "It's okay," he soothed her, while he prepared the injection. "You'll feel better in a moment, just relax."

She turned her head abruptly when she felt the stinging pain of the syringe needle in her upper arm.

"What did you do?" she asked and looked up at him, a deep calm taking possession of her body and mind almost instantly. Only a short moment later, she could feel the world start to spin slightly.

"I'm sorry, but that's regulation. I cannot take you to camp with me, unless you're out. We have to keep the location of the base secret from recruits."

"You… drugged me again," she stated, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but it's a softer drug this time. You will just fall asleep in a few moments, and then I'll take care of your hand, and take you to the resistance camp with me."

"Resistance…" she repeated the word, and it took her mind a few moments to process. She fought against the overwhelming need to close her eyes, even though her eyelids started to feel heavier and heavier. "How…"

"Shhh…" he soothed her. "I promise I will answer all of your questions tomorrow. Just sleep. You're safe."

He held her close until he felt her body completely relaxed against him. Then he carefully laid her down on the floor and got up to get the bandages. He looked at all the shards on the ground, and took a moment to catch his breath. Now how was he supposed to explain this to Mrs MacMahon, who so graciously allowed him to use her farm for these tests, he wondered. He would have to put a few silver coins on the table for her to buy new plates.

Sam sure as hell was a fighter, and given the right training, his gut told him that she would be an outstanding asset in the field.

When he returned with the bandages, he winced when he saw the cut on her palm. That would definitely take a while to heal and probably leave a scar. He couldn't believe that he hadn't thought about sedating her before pouring alcohol over the wound. It was a miracle that she hadn't passed out. Carefully he bandaged her hand. It only needed to hold until camp, and then he would leave her in Janet's care. She had the right training to treat these kinds of wounds, and some very comfortable field beds.

Gently, he brushed some stands of hair away from her forehead, and looked at the young woman for a moment. She had definitely proved to be more resilient than many of the other new recruits, but more than that he was taken aback for a moment by her beauty. And it was that honest smile that she had given him last night in the bar to thank him for the beer he had bought her, which he couldn't get out of his mind.

He was moving on dangerous territory, he knew that. Her appearance should be of no concern to him. She was going to be a recruit after all; a subordinate. But for some reason he couldn't forget her smile. There was something about her that intrigued him.

She was young, though. Definitely at least ten to fifteen years younger than he was, if he were to guess.

Aside from that, he knew that he couldn't pursue her. If he weren't married and she weren't one of his recruits, he would have not hesitated for one moment and tried to seduce her, simply because she was the kind of woman that he could see himself have a serious future with – at least from what he had seen until now. She was self-reliant, strong, spirited, and despite (or maybe because of) her rather unusual short hairstyle, very feminine and beautiful. However, that was not an option. She was a trainee of the resistance now.

Furthermore, he had promised his old friend Jacob to marry his daughter, and he was determined to keep that promise.

_Next update in 2-3 days. Stay tuned... :D_


	6. Chapter 5 - Trust Me

**Chapter 5 – Trust Me**

When Sam woke up, she felt disoriented and confused. She noticed immediately that she could hear people walking around near her bed. That was unusual, she wondered drowsily. What were people doing walking around in her bedroom? She opened her eyes to look at the ceiling. Dark green? This was definitely not her bedroom.

She looked around. She was lying on a comfortable, but slim bed in what looked like a large, dark green tent. And the people were not actually in the tent, she realized now as she was looking around. They had to be walking around outside in close proximity.

Where was she? And how had she gotten here?

Fragments of what had happened started to flood her mind. She had been drugged – and kidnapped. Immediately, her mind was going to alert, and she sat up – an action which she regretted just a second later when dizziness hit her hard.

Sam moaned and moved her legs to the side to get up. She hissed when she leaned on her right hand to get out of bed, and a sharp pain shot from her palm through her entire arm up to her shoulder. In momentary confusion, she looked at her hand, which was thoroughly bandaged, and then tried to get up again, this time more careful about using only her left hand. The instant she was standing up, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Whoa, whoa… easy there, sweetie! You really shouldn't be getting up yet."

A young, red haired woman with a concerned expression on her face hurried towards her and gently urged her back into bed. Sam didn't really fight, because if she was honest with herself, she really didn't feel like getting up.

"You were really weak when you got here, and I want you to stay in bed for at least another day until the chemicals have washed out of your body." The woman took her left hand and carefully removed the bandage in order to put on a new one. "This was a pretty serious cut. I had to give you a few stitches for that, but it should be fine again in about a week."

"Who are you?" Sam finally asked, eyeing the woman curiously and then looked around, "And where am I?"

"I'm Janet Fraiser," the woman smiled, without losing her concentration in bandaging Sam's hand professionally. "Chief medical officer of resistance cell 4."

"And the best doctor in the entire resistance."

Sam looked up when she heard the male voice and watched a tall, bespectacled man – probably only a few years older than she was - enter the tent, and kiss Janet on the forehead gently.

"Daniel, as always you're exaggerating."

"She's just modest," he said, smiling at Sam as he extended his hand now to greet her. "Hi… I'm Daniel. Daniel Jackson."

"The nurse?" Sam asked, and he chuckled.

"No, no, I'm an archeologist actually. A doctor, but the wrong kind."

"Oh!" Sam nodded. "You're part of the resistance?"

"Yeah. Science," he replied. "I'm responsible for decrypting texts and artifacts that are brought back from missions."

"You bring back artifacts from missions?" Sam asked confused, and hissed when Janet hit an especially sore spot on her palm.

"Sorry," the young doctor mouthed.

"Um… yeah…" Daniel responded to her question and narrowed his eyes. "Have you been briefed at all yet?"

"No." Sam replied. "I just… woke up here…"

"Ah…" Daniel nodded. "So just the rough treatment, huh? Let me assure you, we're actually very pleasant people, despite of what you might think now, after your experiences with our camp leader. I keep trying to reason with him to stop that procedure, but he's convinced it's necessary to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you ask me, it's unnecessarily cruel…"

"As the field can be sometimes." A somewhat grumpy voice could be heard from the entrance of the tent. Sam recognized Jack's voice instantly. "I told you before, Daniel, we need to be sure that the new recruits are going to be able to handle the stress in the field. If we only realize during boot camp that they are unfit to handle the physical or mental requirements, we will soon have tons of civilians out there who know about us and our procedures, because they dropped out of training."

"Jack!" Daniel started with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Daniel…"

"She's a woman! Was that really necessary?" He pointed at her hand.

"It's fine." Sam interjected softly. "Actually it was my own fault. I panicked for a moment."

"Yes, but why did it even have to come to this? Jack, can't you at least use fake weapons?" Daniel continued and shook his head with obvious displeasure reflected on his face.

"The gun was fake," Jack replied dryly. "She opted for the knife. Frankly, I thought she'd go for the gun, which is why I didn't even think about the knife. Everybody else always goes for the gun. Kinda surprised me there a little bit."

He smiled at Sam, who was still taken aback a little bit by the realization that he had not killed or harmed her; and that, furthermore, he apparently was the resistance contact that she had been looking for.

"Your gun was secured. The knife wasn't," she noted dryly. "Going for the gun would have taken a lot more effort, and frankly, I've never handled a gun before."

"See?" Jack said looking triumphantly at Daniel. "That kind of stuff you don't learn about a person by talking to them, but by seeing them in action. The way they think, the way they fight, and whether they can still think straight in moments of stress."

"Jack…" Daniel said annoyed.

"Daniel, I won't discuss this anymore. I am responsible for the safety of this camp and for the trustworthiness of the recruits who will be trained here; therefore it is my decision to make. By the way, McKay was looking for you for help with the inscriptions on the new artifact." The man informed the archeologist gruffly, clearly not in the mood to continue this line of discussion.

Daniel left the tent, visibly discontented with the outcome of their conversation. Jack waited until he had left, and Janet was busy at the far end of the tent. Then he sat down on the bed next to Sam's, looking at her with a serious expression on his face.

"He's right where one thing is concerned: that shouldn't have happened." He touched her hand gently, and she winced slightly. "And I'm also sorry about being so rough with you. I had to make sure you were not an Aschen spy, and that you would be suited as a fighter."

"Where are we?" Sam asked weakly after a moment, and then lay back down to rest her head on the soft pillow. Immediately, her headache and dizziness faded. Resting a bit longer definitely didn't seem like a bad idea.

"Resistance camp 4. I can't tell you the location, because recruits are forbidden to know the exact whereabouts; just a precaution to make it harder on spies to betray us. Hence the…" He gesticulated to her arm where he had sedated her and she nodded.

"Right. Just so that I know, how often can I expect to be drugged or sedated during my training?" she asked jokingly, and he smirked softly at the comment.

"No more drugs or sedatives, I promise." He held her eyes longer than he probably should have, admiring the way she took the happenings so lightly. Every time he saw her again, his fascination grew. That and the fact that, even now, looking all disheveled and pale, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Bad train of thoughts, O'Neill, he reminded himself inwardly, and, clearing his throat, he got up.

"Get some rest. You were really weak when we got here, and I want you at your full health when your training starts."

"Jack…" Sam's voice held him back, when he was about to turn around and walk away. "How did you know I was looking for you that night? You were sitting in the far corner, so you couldn't possibly have heard my conversation with the bartender. And I never mentioned to you that I was looking for the resistance."

He chuckled. "You were a stranger; and a noticeable one at that. Cliché, I know. Besides, you made your intentions clear to the bartender. Despite of what he told you, he knew very well who I was."

"Yes, but you didn't know why I was looking for the resistance."

"That was what the interrogation was for." Her facial expression told him, that she was absolutely clueless. The drugs had turned all of the happenings into a big blur for her – one of the side-effects of the drug that he used. "You told me that you wanted to join in the barn. That's the only reason I went along with the test. If you had said that you merely wanted to do business with us, or if I had deemed you unfit, I would have just let you walk. You were never in any real danger, Sam," he explained gently.

"I thought you were going to kill me," she revealed in a gentle voice, her eyes looking at him now.

"I assured you I wouldn't harm you."

"Yes, but during the past month, I've come to realize that people tend to lie when it comes to that. Especially to women," she retorted, and he studied her with a serious expression for a moment before he smiled at her.

"You have the perfect mindset for a resistance fighter. But there is one thing you'll have to learn from now on: Trust me, and the members of this camp."

"Only if you refrain from drugging me in the future," she replied jokingly. He smirked and then got up from the bed.

"It's a deal." In an almost tender gesture, he brushed her forearm with his fingers. "Get some rest. And follow the docs orders. I know she doesn't look like it, but she can turn into a real dragon if you make her angry. First hand experience here."

He smiled when she giggled softly at that last remark, and then he turned around and left.

Sam looked after him. He was an attractive man, she admitted inwardly, somewhat surprised at her own reaction to him. She had still thought that he was going to kill her a little while back. Having even remotely feelings like this was highly inappropriate, she scolded herself.

More importantly, romance wasn't what she had come here for. She wanted to prove that she could stand her own ground and was as capable of fighting as any man was. In order to achieve that, it would be best if she kept a certain distance from the people around her - at least for the time being.

_A/N: Short chapter this time, but to make up for it, you'll get the next update tomorrow. _


	7. Chapter 6 - Revelations

_A/N: Since I cannot comment on reviews (a feature that is missing btw, !), let me just take a moment here to thank you all for your feedback! It is really amazing for me to see how much you are apparently enjoying this story, and it also makes all the months that I spent working on it worthwhile._

_esmejasper__ and a Guest were asking if other characters would appear too, especially with reference to Teal'c, Hammond, Siler, Walter and supporting characters. I want to address that for a moment: Teal'c will not appear. I know, that's bad, but I spent countless days pondering over how I could make it happen without Earth starting a war with the Goa'ult at the same time. The resistance cannot fight the Aschen and the Goa'ult at the same time, so I decided to leave him out. General Hammond will appear near the end – so will a few other characters. _

_Cam Mitchell as well as John Sheppard will appear very soon, and become returning characters as well – especially Sheppard, because, well, he's a character that's good to work with. (Yes, I know, he's from Stargate Atlantis... I just like the character and I needed him for reasons which you will understand later on in the story.)_

_And as you'll all see, Vala will be a major part too. First of all, because I adore the trickster personality of hers, and thought it would lighten up the storyplot and add some of the typical SG-1 humor. And secondly, because I wanted 3 women at camp. Don't ask me why, but I figured, Sam needed two women who would turn into her friends – and Janet and Vala seemed to be excellent choices._

_Now… on to the story._

**Chapter 6 - Revelations**

"Guess who's ba-ack!"

Sam moaned and shielded her eyes from bright sunlight that was shining into the tent from the entrance, when the cheerful, female voice reached her ears, interrupting her restful deep, yet dreamless sleep. She fought to open her eyes and saw the silhouette of a woman who was standing at the entrance.

"Who's that?" The strange woman asked and looked at Sam, before she fully entered the tent and jumped onto the third bed on the floor, where she dropped her backpack. Now that the entrance was closed, and the light was dimmer again, Sam could actually see her. She was a young woman, about her age, with long brown hair, big green eyes and a bright smile. Sam just stared at her, still half asleep, then noticed that Janet was up already and doing her hair in front of the small mirror that was standing on a wooden box in one of the corners.

She had been assigned these quarters a few days ago. It was the only tent occupied by females. There was space for 4 people, and Janet had informed her, that, including her, they were three women in the entire camp now, so each of them had plenty of room. Certainly a lot more luxury than most of the male soldiers had.

"Vala… Sam. Sam… Vala," Janet introduced with a smile, looking at Sam through the mirror. Sam was still confused of having been awoken so abruptly.

"Oh, great! A new one!" Vala exclaimed enthusiastically and clapped her hands, and then started loosening the hairbands that held her hair together in two pigtails on either side of her head.

"You'll get used to her," Janet said to Sam, still smiling at her through the mirror. "She can be a bit too enthusiastic at times and get on your nerves, but she's okay. Just send her away when it gets too much for you."

"Hey!" Vala exclaimed, looking at her. "I am right here!"

"I know," Janet said calmly with a smile. "I told you before that sometimes your cheerfulness is annoying me. Don't act like you care."

Vala looked at her for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders and grinned brightly at Sam. "She's right, I don't care."

"Ugh…" Sam moaned and sat up. Vala jumped over onto her little mattress so she was sitting next to her, eyeing her curiously.

"So… you're the new one? What are you? Doctor? Nurse?"

"Soldier," Sam muttered and got up to get away from the woman. It was way too early for her to be faced with cheerful chitchat like that, let alone be touched by a complete stranger. There were only very few things she couldn't live with, and one was being awaken so rudely and then overwhelmed with banter before she had even had a morning coffee. Let alone a shower.

"Hey, me too!" Vala exclaimed and then pouted slightly when Sam merely left the tent without another word. She looked at Janet, her confusion clearly visible on her face.

Janet chuckled. "She's not an early bird, Vala. Not everybody can be as energetic as you are."

"Pfff… humans." The young woman muttered and then went over to her own mattress again to drop down on her blanket. "Look what I found on the last mission…" she then announced, pulling a golden face-mask out of her backpack that looked really valuable.

"Does Daniel know you took that?" Janet inquired amused, a hair clip stuck between her teeth while she was pinning the shorter strands of hair at the sides of her head up. Vala merely grinned.

"In a way… he ordered us to pack everything up and take it home." She announced, looking at the mask with a mischievous twinkle and obvious affection in her eyes. She had to be the only person in the world – no, the galaxy – who could develop feelings of love for valuable shiny, golden things, Janet though quietly.

"Um… I'm pretty sure, he's gonna want that back. He didn't mean for you to keep it."

"Well, what he doesn't know…" Vala said and put the mask under her mattress with a smile to hide it. Janet shook her head chuckling.

"I'll never understand why you seem to be so fixated on acquiring valuable artifacts or coins." Janet replied. "It's not like we can use them against the Aschen in any way."

"But I can sell them! Do you know what pure gold is worth on the black market? I might even get enough to get my own ship again someday."

At that moment, a male, very angry voice could be heard throughout the camp. "VALA!" It was Daniel's voice, and he sounded anything but pleased.

Janet winced amused, "Looks like your ship will have to wait just a bit longer. He found you out."

"He's so uptight." Vala complained with a pout, and looked up at the archeologist who stormed into the tent just a moment later.

"Vala! Where is it?"

"Daniel…" Vala said with a flirtatious smile, patting the spot next to her on the mattress. "I knew some day you would come to my bed."

"Vala." Daniel said, even more impatient now, as he grabbed her backpack to search through her things. "Where is the mask of Nefertiri?"

"What mask?" She asked with mock innocence and leaned back sexily. He got to his knees and leaned over her, a gesture which obviously thrilled her, because she grabbed the man's collar and held him against her, her lips close to his. "Daniel, come on now… forget about the mask."

"Vala…" Daniel muttered again, ignoring her obvious attempts at seducing him, and feeling up her jacket and then around her. Finally he pulled the mask out from under her mattress and freed himself from her. He got back up, shooting a look of reproach and annoyance at her, then turned and left the tent, leaving behind a very amused Janet, and a pouting Vala.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Sam, who was sitting outside just a few meters away from the tent entrance on a wooden box with a metal cup with fresh hot coffee in her hand, had observed the scene with raised eyebrows. She had no idea what was going on, but then again, she didn't really care.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm morning sun on her skin, and the way the damp grass felt under her naked feet. A cool breeze ruffled the short strands of her blonde hair.

She felt absolutely free.

It had been close to a week that she was in this camp, and so far everybody had been very nice to her. She and Janet had spent a lot of time together, so the young doctor was the person, she was most familiar with already. Her days were mainly filled with check-ups, and basic introductory briefings about her upcoming weeks of training at camp. Her brain was being flooded with information: what were the rules at camp, what was the procedure if she got caught, what were their basic principles of dealing with each other?

It was all rather basic information that refrained from giving any inside details about missions or what they were training for; why teams disappeared for hours, sometimes days at a time in the forest, only to return with artifacts, sometimes technology or strange weapons that Sam had never seen before – or read anything about in the Aschen files that she had secretly accessed. Her curiosity was sparked and so she waited patiently through the briefings, the medical exams and the introductory classes.

"Carter."

Sam looked up at Jack O'Neill who was walking towards her. She had hardly seen him during the past few days, so his sudden appearance surprised her a little. He had his usual neutral expression on his face, which, Sam had realized, expressed his standard commanding mode. It was not that he didn't like to crack jokes, but he was always well aware of his status as their commander, and that, if he messed up, all of their lives might be in danger.

Sam had to admit, that she had come to respect – almost admire – him for the work he did here on a daily basis, and the problems that he had to put up with. And people at camp certainly didn't make it easier on him. Just yesterday, she had witnessed him get into a lively discussion with one of the scientists – an unfriendly, and very arrogant man – about some type of equipment that he needed.

"Jack… Sir…" she corrected herself, remembering her briefing from two days before. Since her official training hadn't even begun yet, because her hand was still healing, Jack ignored her little slip-up without a comment.

"With me please." Having said that, he simply turned around and expected her to follow him – even if it was only for the fact that, if he had faced her a moment longer, his eyes would have inevitably gotten stuck on those long, endless legs of hers. Not only would that probably have embarrassed her, it would also have been highly unprofessional of him to check out a recruit like that. Therefore he did what he could do best: he stayed in command mode.

Sam got up from the box, cursing when she spilled some of her coffee, and hurried after him through the short grass on bare feet. She was still wearing her sleeping gear – shorts and a long black shirt – but he hadn't shown any indication that he noticed or cared for her lack of clothing. Therefore Sam didn't dare to make him wait by grabbing a pair of pants.

Jack entered the tent that served as his command central and she followed him, pulling the mosquito net, which was covering the entrance aside, and watched him walk around his desk and pick up a few papers.

"I got the results of your physicals this morning," he said and looked at her. "Everything looks fine, you just failed to mention a little detail."

"Oh?" Sam said, seriously confused.

"You're gifted," he informed her and sat down.

"Oh," she commented in a tone that unmistakably conveyed a mixture of annoyance and mild anger. She hadn't even known that Janet had run a fertility test as well, and somehow the fact that she had done so behind her back bothered her; the fact that they knew this very intimate detail about her now made Sam feel as if her privacy had been invaded.

"Ah, so you were aware of your condition." Jack looked at her more serious now. "When were you planning on telling me?"

"Frankly? Not at all." She responded bluntly. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean I will be less capable as a fighter, or can't do things just as well as non-gifted females – or males," she added sharply. He looked at her intensely for a moment, a stare that usually made people avert their eyes or feel uncomfortable. If she was feeling uncomfortable she wasn't showing it, and she was certainly not looking away.

"This has nothing to do with you being a woman." He informed her after a moment, leaning back slightly. "I like women." Something about the way he said it and the way he was still holding her eyes intensely while he was saying it suddenly made her feel tingly. It was a dangerous feeling, dangerous and disturbing.

She still didn't look away, so he continued. "They are excellent fighters from what I've come to experience, and on covert missions they are a lot less suspicious."

"Then what's the problem?" Sam asked, coolly.

"The problem is, that you failed to inform me – or Janet, and that we had to find out through testing. If Janet hadn't done the tests, and you would have been caught, it would have been a lot easier to identify you by the DNA records in the Aschen 'gifted'-database." He sighed. "Trust is imperative here, Sam. If we cannot trust each other, we can't trust anybody."

"The Aschen don't know I am gifted. Besides I wasn't sure…" she started, and then her voice broke off. He leaned forward onto the desk, looking at her with interest now. For the first time he saw a hint of emotion, true emotion, behind that tough façade that she had built up.

"Not sure of what?" he inquired gently.

"I wasn't sure whether you would dismiss me once you learned," she eventually said hard, her mask back in place as she looked up now, holding his eyes.

He studied her face thoroughly for a moment, intrigued by the raw emotion he read in her entire attitude: hurt and anger.

"I am gifted, Sam." He eventually revealed to her, while he looked down and made a little note on the piece of paper in front of him. Her eyes widened in surprise. "I know, what you were thinking, and I understand why you tried to keep it secret – I was there once too. You're not the only one carrying that burden, and at least here it's nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. We just need to know so we can get it under control."

"Oh?" Sam said, her expression showing her curiosity and interest now. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Janet has developed a serum, that – provided it's administered once a month – adds a fake protein marker to your cells, which makes any fertility test result come back negative. A side effect is that you will actually not be able to become pregnant, but I assume that wasn't on your to-do list anyway," Jack explained matter-of-factly. "It's still highly experimental, but it worked for me, and seven other people at camp, as well as several others who are working in other cells. It won't be permanent – and it is certainly not ideal, but for now it will have to do."

Sam got up, excited now. "That is incredible! Why don't you make that accessible to the general public? If everybody received a negative test result, the strict Aschen rules would not apply anymore and many gifted people could live free of their oppressive system!"

"No," Jack simply stated, playing with the pen between his fingers when he looked up at her. "That is not and will never be an option, Sam. We need the human race to survive and as much as it pains me to say this: until we have found a cure against the infertility, the system as it is at the moment is our best chance at that happening."

"That's cruel." Sam interjected, her eyes narrowing. "Those are people out there - OUR people - you're talking about! People like you and me," she added quieter but still with an audible hint of anger in her voice.

He raised his eyebrows, realizing immediately from the anger in her voice that the subject seemed to hit a little too close to home. But then again, for whom wouldn't it? Granted, he wasn't 25 anymore, but he could still remember his horror when the Aschen tests had revealed that he was gifted. At her age, the wound still had to be fresh, and the memory vivid.

"I know," he replied, "but we can't change that at the moment. We cannot fight at all fronts, Sam. Some sacrifices have to be made, and frankly, as bad as it sounds, there are more pressing needs; other fields that we have to spend our resources on and that show a lot more promise to do damage to the Aschen in the long run. Preventing the human race from procreating hardly seems the right means to that end."

"So what, we'll just let those people be?" she asked, becoming more and more infuriated.

"Yes, we will." Jack replied hard. "And so will you. Sacrifices have to be made!"

"I see – just not by you," she muttered, her hands fisted at her sides while she was glaring at him. Jack's face hardened and he got up from his desk abruptly, and leaned forward.

"They are making a sacrifice their way – we are making our sacrifices our way working for the resistance. Don't you dare believe for a second that this work doesn't come with sacrifices! Once you've completed your training, and get assigned to a team, you will understand that sometimes you will have to make bigger sacrifices than any civilian ever could." He was outright angry now about her attack, and had kept his eyes fixated on her during his entire rant.

Then he slowly calmed down. She was young. He still remembered his first day in the resistance, and his fierce speech about sharing weapons with the general public. She couldn't know better, because she had not been fully briefed about their activities yet. So could he really blame her for seeing things the way she did?

"I'm asking you to trust me on this for now," Jack finally requested in a calmer voice. "Once you are done with your final briefing after your training is complete, I am sure you will understand the reasons. Until then, I want you to give the treatment a try, okay?"

Sam nodded quietly.

"Don't worry, everybody has responded quiet well until now with only minor side-effects like mild headaches in the beginning of the treatment. And you'll be under constant surveillance, so no need to be concerned."

"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you."

"And Sam," he said almost softly when she was just about to leave the tent. "From now on, if there are matters like your test results: I want you to tell me. Or tell Janet if you feel more comfortable talking to a woman. We can only react accordingly if you confide in us."

"Understood," she nodded, smiling back at him faintly and then left the tent. Once she was out, Jack dropped the pen and leaned back in his chair, pressing his hands to his eyes. Sam Carter sure became more interesting with every day that passed. He had never met a woman so brave and ready to fight for herself and her convictions. But it was just that attitude that also worried him. The resistance was organized in a very strict military structure, and discussions like the one they had just had would very soon start to get her into trouble. She was smart – maybe too smart for her own good.

When he had first seen her in the bar, he had thought she was interesting. He couldn't deny, that there had been sexual feelings involved as well. Only a blind person would be oblivious to her beauty and sensual sexiness. After he had decided to admit her to resistance training, though, he had know that he would have to shut those feelings away

He had always been able to do that when it came to resistance matters. He never had one-night-stands or affairs with co-workers or worse, recruits; not that short-lived sexual affairs in general were a specialty of his.

Yes, he had had a lot of affairs when he was younger – right after his wife had left him. He had used the physical aspect of sex as a means to vent his anger and pain. But as he had grown older, the desire for such short-lived experiences had more and more vanished.

The more he learned about Sam Carter, the more he realized that he had to be careful around her in order to keep it that way. It was not exactly against the rules or forbidden to have an affair or relationship with a cadet or subordinate, but he had seen the results of such affairs in other camps. If relationships went badly, it tended to mess up entire camps – and even operations - so he made it a policy not to pursue any women under his command. Even if he tolerated other romances that had developed in his cell in the past.

Daniel had been involved with Janet for almost a year, before they had decided to break it up. They had remained close friends however, and even while they were dating, they had never let their personal relationship interfere with any of their missions, so Jack had never gotten involved. Two of the male soldiers were dating and had been an item for over 5 months now, but the situation worked quite well. Since both young men were working on different SG-teams and didn't let their relationship interfere with their work, he saw no reason to intervene either.

And it was no secret that Vala was pursuing Daniel now – whether it was love or lust was a general matter of speculation. That, however, didn't seem to interfere with their missions either, so there was no need for him to put an end to it.

It was only logical that, considering the relative isolation that they lived in, people at camp would grow close and start relationships.

Jack knew that a command that was too strict and limited the personal freedoms of the people working there too much could quickly lower morel and motivation – especially with a cause as seemingly hopeless as theirs. It was important for him to ensure that his team and the people under his command could relax from time to time, despite their situation and the dangers they were facing.

Yet, he was very careful about getting involved with somebody himself. And he just had a feeling that Sam Carter would put this principle of his to the test, whether she wanted to or not.

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	8. Chapter 7 - Respect

_A/N: This one and the following two chapters explore more of Sam's nature. I realized, that she started to sound a little bit like a Mary-Sue (overall perfect, with everything working in her favor). Maybe it was just my mind – after all, Sam Carter on the show is a rather perfect character as well – but still. In this story I wanted to explore more of those sides that had been smoothed out by bootcamp training and years of working as a soldier on the show. _

_Also, from now on, I will devote a section at the end of each chapter to address reviewer and reviews. That way, if somebody doesn't want to deal with the endless author yackings, he or she can just stop reading when the story is finished. :)_

**Chapter 7 - Respect**

"Watch the stance!" The instructor yelled from the side of the ring, and Sam screamed in a mixture of pain and frustration when another sharp blow hit her right in the stomach and sent her to the ground. She coughed with tears in her eyes.

"I said, WATCH THE STANCE!"

The young woman tried hard to breathe when her instructor now came stomping onto the field, enraged and cursing in the process.

Sam's opponent, a young man who was only a couple of years older than she was, looked at the man apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sir, I was trying to go easy on her."

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" The furious teacher yelled. "You shouldn't have to go easy on people! In the field nobody is going to go easy on her. Up! Get up!" He pulled the young woman, who was still having trouble breathing, up to her feet. "What exactly went wrong just now?!" he yelled at her face, ignoring the fact that tears were streaming down her face from exhaustion and the inability to breathe. When she didn't answer, he shook her. "I'll tell you what went wrong! You didn't watch your stance, and allowed your opponent an opening which he took advantage of. If this was the field and your opponent was using a knife, you'd be dead!" He shoved her back into the middle of the ring. "AGAIN! And this time watch your stance! And you…" He pointed at the young man angrily, "…stop going easy on her."

Sam glared at her teacher, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and then faced her opponent. Ever bone and every muscle in her body was aching, but there was no use in complaining – nor did her pride allow her to.

She had been scheduled for combat training for weeks, and it seemed to her that with every day that passed, she made more mistakes; stupid mistakes!

Her instructor, a man named Cameron Mitchell, was one of the highest-ranking officers at camp. And quite obviously he had decided that he didn't like her – at least judging from the fact that he kept yelling at her constantly. Sam was getting to a point where her frustration outweighed every positive feeling that she had had initially about joining the resistance.

"STANCE!"

Mitchell's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, when he came up behind her and forcefully pushed her legs further apart. He was in his 30s, and everything about his appearance betrayed that he had been a soldier for most of his life. He was one of the 'few-brains-more-muscles' guys, but Sam had to admit that he was good at what he was doing. However, she had about had it with his constant yelling and pushing her around.

She fixated her eyes on her opponent, trying to concentrate on managing her stance, while at the same time concentrating on his moves. The instant he attacked her, she jumped aside and tried but failed miserably to land a blow of her own.

"Damned…" she could hear the angry voice of the instructor and started fuming inside.

The next blow struck her right in the face and she went tumbling to the ground, holding her cheek. Anger started boiling inside of her, when Mitchell started yelling serious insults at her now. "UP ON YOUR FEET, RECRUIT! What do you think you're doing? Are you too stupid to listen to what I'm saying, or what's the matter with you?"

Sam jumped up and glared at him.

She let out a frustrated scream between grit teeth in a sudden outburst of anger, and, without caring for stance or technique, hit her opponent hard when he attacked her. She was working herself up into blind rage and every blow that hit her seemed to make it worse.

Completely uncontrolled, Sam started beating her opponent. She was like a wildcat out of control, only stopping when the young man was lying on the ground in front of her groaning in pain and holding his groin area. Well, she thought, at least he was on the ground. Screw the stance.

From the corner of her vision, she could see Mitchell storm towards her but didn't care. She looked at him defiantly, and when he reached for her to grab her by the collar, she avoided his grip, blocket him and, without a warning, delivered a blow right into his face, then grabbed his collar roughly and pulled him against her. "Just shut up!" she hissed and then pushed him away. "I'm done here," she muttered angrily and just slowly walked out of the ring.

"Carter!" he yelled after her angrily, the back of his hand wiping over the corner of his mouth, where her fist had hit him. He was bleeding, he realized, and his face darkened as he started to follow her. "Who do you think you are?! You're in so much trouble now! Get your ass back here at once! We're not done here, and I promise you, when I'm finished with you…"

"We're done!" The young woman interrupted him without turning around. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, hating the tears that were streaming over her cheeks from the pain and the frustration. Every fiber of her body was hurting. She could feel the corner of her lower lip begin to swell up slightly from one of the blows, and winced, when she touched the injury with her finger and a sharp pain shot through her cheek. She started to walk faster.

She was feeling miserable, being constantly beaten up in training, and her cheek and head were hurting. But if there was one thing that she would never do, it was to cry in front of those people.

Storming around the corner in blind rage, she ran directly into Jack O'Neill. Great, she thought quietly, just the person to become aware of her failings.

"Carter…" he greeted her almost cheerfully, then raised his eyebrows when he saw her bleeding lip and the state she was in. "You okay?"

"Just…" She replied lifting her hands defensively, a half-annoyed expression on her face when he wanted to touch her arms, and turned to just walk away from him.

In mild confusion, O'Neill looked after her and then his astonishment grew, when Cameron Mitchell, his close combat instructor came storming around the corner.

"CARTER! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE NOW, OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AT ALL!"

"Screw you!" she yelled back without stopping. Jack's face darkened visibly as he watched the young woman vanish in the tent she shared with Janet and Vala.

Mitchell looked as if he was about to storm after her, the expression on his face clearly reflecting his desire to beat the young woman up. Jack put his hand firmly on his shoulder, before he could do so, holding him in place..

"Hey…" Jack raised his eyebrows. He didn't need an instructor who started to beat up the recruits. And he also didn't want to deal with recruits who didn't respect their superiors. "Mitchell… what the hell is going on here?"

"She is impossible!" The man announced angrily. "She is the worst fighter – and the worst student – I have ever seen. She doesn't listen to instruction; she is stubborn, completely unskilled…"

"She seems to have gotten you good," Jack remarked with just the hint of wry amusement, noting the bruise on the man's cheek.

"AND SHE IS DISRESPECTFUL!" Mitchell snapped at Jack's interruption. "One day in the field, and she'll be dead, if she keeps up that attitude. With her skillset now, I don't want her on any of the teams! She would be a liability! No, let me correct that: she's an accident just waiting to happen!"

"I see," Jack replied, his face not showing what he was thinking. He had feared that it would come down to this. During the past few weeks, he had received repeated reports about Sam Carter talking back, or refusing to follow orders if she deemed them useless. Up to now he had refrained from getting involved in the situation, because this kind of behavior was not unusual for very strong-minded recruits, and up to now they had all finally submitted to the command structure. But with Carter, it seemed to have reached the limit now, beyond which he could just not tolerate her insubordination anymore.

"Mitchell, calm down. I will handle the situation. Maybe she just needs a bit more time," Jack suggested in a calm tone.

"Time?" Mitchell replied and chuckled sarcastically. "It's been three weeks! Three fucking weeks. And she cannot defend herself from the softest blows. I'm done with her, Jack. I know you think she has it in her, but I don't see it! Sorry!"

Jack looked after the man as he stormed off furiously. He inhaled deeply, then his expression darkened and he slowly walked towards the women's tent. He would not have that kind of drama in his resistance camp, and most importantly, he would not have recruits talking disrespectfully to their instructors.

He stormed into the tent without announcing his presence beforehand, hoping that she was dressed decently.

Sam Carter was sitting on the floor next to the thin mat that served as her bed, wiping her cheek carefully with a wet cloth as she tried to get the dirt off.

"I'm not going back," she announced snappily without looking up, when the man entered the tent.

"Yes, you will," Jack responded coldly. When hear head shot around, an expression of shock was visible in her eyes. Jack knew immediately that she had expected Mitchell, and not him. It only took a second for defiance to show back through in her expression. Jack shook his head angrily. "But not today. You need to cool off!"

With those words he grabbed her by the collar, and, ignoring her shocked little shriek, pulled her up to her feet and just started to drag her with him. Sam stumbled after him, protesting with audible panic in her voice.

"Let me go! What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?"

Janet, who was just about to enter the tent jumped back with a shriek, when her very angry commanding officer was practically dragging the shrieking young woman out.

The young doctor looked after then completely baffled and then hurried up the hill to the science camp to get help.

Sam started to fight to get out of the steel grip that was holding her, but there was no use. "Let go of me! What do you think you're doing…" She shrieked when she stumbled and fell, but was pulled roughly back up to her feet by her commanding officer.

Jack didn't say a word; he merely dragged her through the bushes down a narrow path until they reached the edge of a steep rocky cliff. It was not high; just about three meters and it ended in a small, crystal clear lake that was framed by rocks. Before Sam could say another word, he grabbed her and pushed her forcefully over the edge down into the cold, crystal clear water of the lake.

"JACK!"

Daniel came running down the hill followed by a horrified Janet. Incredulously, the archeologist bent over the edge and stared down at Sam, who was now resurfacing under heavy coughs. Then he looked at his friend, his eyes filled with reproach and a hint of anger. "What the hell, Jack!"

"Relax, Daniel," Jack replied calmly and folded his arms. "I didn't hurt her. You should know me better than that! She can swim." He sat down on a rock at the edge of the small cliff.

Daniel looked at his friend in disbelief, shaking his head, and then leaned over to look down at Sam, who was swimming on the spot, wiping the water out of her face and looking around.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" she said, coughing slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine…"

"Jack!" Daniel snapped again, and the camp commander looked up at him.

"For crying out loud, did you think I was going to kill her?" he asked incredulously, and Daniel folded his arms.

"The thought occurred to me, yes. The scene Janet described didn't sound like you were acting –um- sanely."

Jack shook his head in annoyance. "I am merely teaching her a lesson in respect. I will not tolerate recruits insulting superior officers and yelling at them."

"Okay…" Daniel said, still visibly tense, then looked down at Sam, who was still swimming on the spot, having realized that the lake was framed with rocks to each side and there was no way for her to get out. "Do you plan on helping her back out?"

"In due time…" Jack replied calmly and absolutely controlled. When Daniel was still eyeing him suspiciously, he sighed. "Daniel, it's fine… go! I'm just temporarily taking over her training, because she apparently needs to have a lesson in how to behave towards superior officers. Besides, when have I ever hurt a recruit before?"

"You're right…" Daniel nodded, his face still displaying a hint of insecurity about leaving. "So far you've never been out of line. Although I'm pretty sure this qualifies as a gray area. You will never hear the end of it from Janet if she has to treat her in the infirmary later on, so..."

"Oh fer crying outloud!" Jack snapped now. "She will be fine! You have my word for it! Go!"

He watched the archeologist and Janet leave, and then lay back on the rock, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his face.

After a few moments, he could hear the young woman's voice.

"Jack!"

He didn't respond.

"Jack!" Her voice was a little louder, but still she didn't get a response. Eventually she closed her eyes and sighed. "Sir!"

"I'm listening," he replied loudly, not moving one inch.

"How do I get back out of here?"

"When I throw down the rope ladder, that's lying up here," he explained matter-of-factly.

"Okay…" she replied and waited for a moment, then, when he still wasn't moving, she asked, "Are you going to do that any time soon?"

He got up and leaned over the edge to be able to look at her. "Once I'm certain that you have cooled down enough to remember your rank, and how to properly address superior officers and instructors."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened before but Mitchell was…"

"That's Colonel Mitchell to you, recruit," he interjected sharply. "And frankly, I don't care what happened. Nothing could possibly justify you to attack and disrespect a superior officer the way I witnessed you doing. Colonel Mitchell is a damn good close combat and weapons instructor, and he just informed me that he is unwilling to continue training you. Furthermore he told me that you are unfit to meet the requirements."

"Well, Sir," she pronounced his rank with a sharp undertone that he decided to overhear for her own benefit, "he doesn't give me a chance to fight! He is so busy yelling orders around that I am so distracted and scared to make a mistake that I can't concentrate! When I was alone and had to defend myself, it was never like this and I got by! There was nobody standing next to me, constantly yelling at me about all the things I did wrong. I know I'm not the best fighter, but I can be better! A lot better, Sir, if he would just stop yelling at me for every wrong move that I make. I am so ridiculously nervous - not because of my opponent, but because of him!"

Jack frowned and inhaled deeply. He knew, Mitchell could be a little bit too stiff sometimes, and he suspected that a few of the things she said were true, but that still didn't serve as an excuse for her to handle the situation completely the wrong way. "So you decided to disrespect him, attack him, severely beat up your opponent and just storm off?"

"Well, he wanted me to fight, so I gave him what he wanted," she commented smartly.

O'Neill's expression darkened. "Carter!" There was a distinct warning in his voice that alarmed her.

She sighed and lowered her eyes, realizing that starting a fight with Jack O'Neill would hardly do her any good. "Sorry, Sir."

"That's not how we do things here, Sam. This is a military structure. We don't attack each other, and we don't disrespect the people in charge. If you cannot adapt to that, I suggest you say so now, because I damn sure don't want to be stuck with a soldier in the field who suddenly decides she doesn't like my orders anymore and just beats me up over it. Just say the word and you're out. But there will be no second chances."

She pondered over his words for a moment. He was right, she concluded. She had known from the start that this was a military structure, but she had thought that she'd be able to adapt to it faster. It proved to be harder than she had expected.

"I'll adapt," she replied quietly after a moment, and he raised his eyebrows and asked sarcastically, "Excuse me, I didn't quite get that?"

"I'll adapt, Sir!" she said louder now, "I am sorry I disrespected the colonel and I assure you it will not happen again."

"Damn right, it won't," he affirmed, his voice hard now. "I have no patience for disrespect."

"Yes Sir." When he remained silent, she eventually asked softly, "Will you throw down the ladder now?"

"No," he replied. "You will swim to the other end of the lake, and back. Thirty rounds, understood? Clear your head and cool down. Once you're done you can come out. I'll be back in 30 minutes to check on your progress."

With those words he moved back a little to sit back down on the rock where she couldn't see him anymore. He wouldn't leave her alone. It would be irresponsible of him as her trainer. If something happened, if she tired or cramped, he wanted to be there to pull her out if necessary. But she didn't have to know that.

He was interested to see if she would follow his orders. She had displayed notions of insubordination already, and he wanted to test just how deep her inability to follow orders went. Was she only disobeying orders for what she deemed a good reason, or was she generally unwilling to bed to a command structure? Would she respect his authority and his orders, even if he wasn't present?

So he sat down on a small rock, chewing on a long grass stalk, and waited. At first he thought she was going to disregard his orders, and his face darkened, when he heard her curse. But then she surprised him.

After diving under water for about 10 seconds – undoubtedly to cool off – she resurfaced, took a deep breath and then started swimming. A soft smirk played around his lips as he watched her swim all the way to the far end of the lake, and then turn around and make her way back. He sat back, leaning against a tree and closed his eyes to enjoy the warm sunlight, as he listened to her swimming round after round without faltering for one moment.

When half an hour had passed, he got up and stood on the rock face so that she could see him. "Done with your 30 rounds?" he yelled down at her, well-aware of the fact that she wasn't. She was visibly exhausted and out of breath. Still, she shook her head.

"No Sir… I managed to do 19 rounds," she replied.

Loyalty certainly would not be a problem with her, he realized. She could have lied to him to try and get out of the water early, but she hadn't. She remained honest, even though she was visibly exhausted and didn't know that he would be able to tell if she was lying or not. His features softened and he threw the end of the rope ladder down.

"Come on up," he offered in a gentler tone and she grabbed the end of the ladder to rest for a moment, before she looked up at him.

"I'm not done yet, Sir."

"I know that," he replied. "I wasn't expecting you to actually finish the 30 rounds. It's enough for today."

"Yes Sir," she said, and pulled herself out of the water to climb up the ladder on shaky limbs. She could barely stand, yet she did not mutter one word of complaint.

"Come on, you need to dry up, and you should probably let Janet have a look at your cheek and lip," he said, walking the way back, closely followed by her. "Tomorrow morning you will report to the combat class again as scheduled, understood? And you will apologize to Colonel Mitchell for the insubordination today."

"Yes Sir," she responded.

"Alright," he said, softer then and turned around when they had reached the camp. "Go rest for the rest of the evening."

"Thank you, Sir."

He watched her as she walked in the direction of her tent shakily, and then turned to go and find Mitchell and talk him into giving Sam Carter another chance.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

The next morning, Sam showed up to the lesson as ordered. Jack, who was planning on observing her behavior, stayed on the far side. He saw her walking up to her instructor to apologize for her behavior the day before, and then winced when Mitchell started yelling at her. The man sure wasn't going to make it easy on her.

"DAMN RIGHT, YOU'LL BE SORRY RECRUIT! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE?"

"No Sir!" she responded back, her eyes fixed on a point in the distance, not moving a muscle as Mitchell slowly walked around her and kept yelling.

"YOU STILL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO BEAT UP A SUPERIOR OFFICER?"

"No Sir!"

Damn, but she could follow orders if she wanted to, Jack had to give her that, somewhat impressed by her complete control. He knew how she felt about Mitchell and their training sessions, but she hid those feelings well.

"YOU EXPECT ME TO GO EASY ON YOU, RECRUIT?"

"No Sir!"

"DAMN RIGHT I WON'T! 50 ROUNDS OF RUNNING! NOW! AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT, I WANT TO SEE YOUR 30 PUSHUPS! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

"Yes Sir!"

She started running without any contradiction. She was a fast runner, too. Her body was in excellent shape – although, on closer look, Jack O'Neill had to admit that Janet's concerns were justified. The camp doctor had informed him just this morning, that Sam Carter had lost quite a few pounds ever since her training had started; which wasn't good at all, considering that she should be building muscle and not losing it.

The 3 weeks of physical exercises had taken their toll on her body, and camp rations seemed to be barely enough to supply her body with the necessary nutrients. Janet had forwarded an alternated nutrients plan for her, and he would have to make sure, that it was put into action. Their food supply was limited, but he wasn't willing to risk the health of a potentially outstanding recruit.

He waited and observed, until she was done with her exercise, repeatedly fired on by Mitchell. Eventually the actual training began, and soon Jack began to realize that Carter had not exaggerated about Mitchell's behavior. He was giving her no leeway to make mistakes. Jack himself had seen her defend herself against him, and therefore he knew she was agile and creative. But at this moment, she was so focused on the way she was standing and holding her hands to administer the blows that her blows took too long and therefore proved to be completely ineffective. She was the living example of how sometimes rules could stand in the way of excellence. She took one hit after another – and her opponent didn't even seem to try too hard.

Jack could practically see the frustration grow – in both, Mitchell and Carter.

Cam Mitchell was young – not as young as the recruits of course, but still considerably younger than Jack. And therefore he had to make up for what he lacked in experience by reliance on regulations and protocol.

"Alright, children…" Jack finally announced loudly, when he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to watch Carter let herself be beaten up unconscious. Slowly, he walked through the fighting area towards them as he got their full attention. "Can anybody tell me what is going wrong here just now?"

"I'm sorry, Sir…" Mitchell replied. "I'm trying."

"So am I, Sir…" Sam replied back, and he could hear the strain of frustration and effort from her voice.

"That's the problem now, isn't it?" Jack replied wryly. "Everybody here is trying a bit too hard – except for you Simmons… you're not trying hard at all, but going easy on her, which really isn't the point of this exercise either, is it?"

"Sorry, Sir," the young soldier responded, embarrassed that he had been caught. He really wasn't keen on beating the young woman up, but as things were, that was how things were going down.

"Mitchell, step back…" Jack commanded. "Give her space." Then he walked over to Sam, closely scrutinizing her stance. "Carter, lighten up. When the hell did you become so tense? Your shoulders are too tense, and so are your legs. Concentrate less on how you're standing and more on what you're doing. You don't have time to think about stance in the field. And you…" He looked at Simmons, eyes going up and down the young soldier. He was an experienced fighter and there really wasn't anything wrong with him at the moment, so Jack simply concluded after a little pause, "…stop holding back!"

"Yes, Sir." The man nodded, his muscles tightening.

Jack O'Neill paused for a moment, before he announced, "I want you to beat her up. Hard! And this time neither Mitchell nor myself will stop you or interfere."

He turned around when he heard the young woman gasp behind him, and walked towards her. "If she cannot defend herself," he continued while he looked intensely at the young woman's face, "she will have to suffer the consequences."

He came to stand right in front of her, prompting her to ease up on her military pose and glance up at him to meet his eyes. "And if she ends up in the medical tent with broken bones, then that can't be helped – although I would hate to have Doc Fraiser yelling at me for that." Jack was looking directly into her eyes as he said those words. She swallowed hard, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Sir…" Mitchell interjected in protest, but one look of his superior officer shut him up.

"Ready?" Jack asked, and then stepped back until he had reached the long wooden box that served as a bench at one of the sides of the training area. "GO!" he yelled, and then sat down next to Mitchell.

"Jack," Mitchell said lower, "he's going to beat her up until she's unconscious."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Jack replied. "Don't worry, I'm going to step in if I see that she can't handle it. But she beat him up yesterday when she was angry, didn't she?" Mitchell raised his eyebrows in concern, and Jack clarified, "I have seen her move, and I have seen her fight. She has it in her, you just need to give her a little bit of leeway to make mistakes and learn for herself. And add the necessary pressure to address her primal emotions: yesterday it was anger. If today it will be fear, that'll be fine too, it's gonna be closer to the field anyway."

Mitchell looked at him incredulously, "You're really sure of yourself there, aren't you? How are you going to explain to Fraiser that you gave a soldier permission to beat her unconscious."

"It's not going to come to that. Call it gut feeling." Jack replied back. "She…" he nodded towards Sam, "…is a natural. She has the instincts of a warrior. I don't know where she comes from, and she herself probably doesn't even realize it yet. You taught her fighting stances. She knows them. The thing you really have to teach her, is to trust in her own abilities. What she is going to see out there is going to be beyond any expectation – or any training – and her instinct is the only thing that she can rely on."

He looked at the ring, where the two soldiers where now circling each other. "I am pretty sure she will be able to handle this."

Mitchell raised his eyebrows and observed the two warriors. He himself had not the slightest doubt that the young woman would end up in the infirmary – provided that Simmons would follow orders, and not hold back anymore. All the more astonished was he, when she delivered the first blow after effectively blocking one.

"I'll be damned," he muttered, when he immediately saw that her entire attitude seemed to be changed. She was focused, her stance was open and grounded, and she anticipated her opponent's move. Everything he had been trying to teach her during the past few days. Once she stopped thinking about it, her body automatically seemed to take the correct poses.

Jack chuckled, his eyes not leaving the fight.

After Sam had delivered the first blow, her opponent clearly tensed, and she could see determination I his eyes. Damn, now he would really not go easy on her, she realized. She stepped back slightly, trying to evade his next attack, but slipped out in the mud and with a soft shriek fell. In an instant she was back on her feet, ignoring the pain in her leg. His next blow hit her right in the stomach and for a moment she could see stars dance in front of her eyes when it felt like the air was pressed out of her lungs. She went to the ground and caught her breath, but at the same time she used her legs to bring Simmons down as well – an act which gave her enough time to recover and get back on her feet.

Simmons gave her a dark look, his pride showing through. He was one of the best warriors in the camp, and he'd be damned if he would let her beat him. In one of his best close combat moves he faked an attack with his left arm, while at the same time using his right leg to hook behind her ankles. With a shriek she went down. She rolled aside when he wanted to lean over her, and hooked her legs around his neck, holding him in a steel grip on the ground.

Being stronger than she was, he managed to throw her off. She landed hard on her back, dazed for a moment when she hit her head on the ground. The initial dizziness was gone an instant later when a new rush of adrenaline went through her body at the feeling of being punched hard by the man. Blindly she threw her fist up into his face and he tumbled back, disoriented for a moment. An instant later, she pounced on him, trying to hold him down with the technique she had learned only days before, but was a moment too late to prevent him from counteracting her move.

Jack O'Neill and Cameron Mitchell were watching the fight, one with growing interest, the other one with actual astonishment. "I can't believe that's the same woman. She is actually good," Mitchell remarked.

"You gotta give her a little incentive," Jack chuckled. "Ya know… I think she might actually win this one. Care for a little bet?"

"Nah, I think you might be right." Cam Mitchell grinned, his eyes still wide and fixed on the fight, before he started to grin. "We better break them up. Simmons will be pissed if she actually wins."

"Sure will," Jack chuckled. "But he'll deal with it. It's not like he hasn't been beaten in a friendly fight before."

"Yes, but not by a woman." Mitchell chuckled and Jack's expression darkened. He looked at the man next to him.

"She's a soldier. Whether she's a man or a woman is irrelevant." He said coldly, and narrowed his eyes, "Or is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all. I'm just saying, a few of the soldiers, and especially some of the recruits don't see it the same way."

"They don't have a problem with Doctor Fraiser," Jack reminded him gruffly, and Mitchell shook his head.

"Janet Fraiser is not a soldier."

"Fine, how about Vala Maldoran?"

"That's different, and you know that! Some of the men just feel, that a human woman has no place in the field." Mitchell remarked and lifted his arms. "Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm not saying I share their opinion!"

"You can tell them that whoever has a problem with treating Sam Carter with the same respect as any male soldier is free to bring the issue up with me, understood? I don't like any of my men – or women – treated differently or being discriminated against. We cannot afford to fight two wars – one against the Aschen, and one against each other. We need to trust each other. And I want her to be able to trust each and every soldier who is part of this cell. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal, Sir."

"Good." Jack nodded, and then moved his eyes back to the fight.

Even though Carter was delivering some sharp blows, she also had to take some, and he could see, that the fight would still go on for a while until they were either both badly beaten up, or one of them gave up from exhaustion. So eventually he looked at Mitchell.

"Come on, break them up. I think I have made my point."

Mitchell chuckled and walked into the center of the battle area. "ATTENTION!" he yelled and immediately, the two soldiers stopped fighting, each one of them standing at attention.

Jack turned to leave the field area. He would leave the rest to the trainer, confident that he would handle it the right way now. He had to smirk when he heard Mitchell yell behind him. "CARTER! THAT WAS ONE HELL OF A PERFORMANCE, I'LL ADMIT. BUT IT WAS SLOPPY LEGWORK. AND DON'T EVEN LET ME GET STARTED ABOUT YOUR DEFENSE."

**The next part will follow in 2-3 days.**

_Review-response time: (will follow every chapter from now on)_

_**esmejasper:** Thank you so much. I am working very hard on their characterizations, and since this is a completely different setting from the series, it is not easy to find the balance between constructing characters which are credible given their histories and still feel in-character from the show. Therefore I am especially happy to read that you feel they are in character._

_**napa2010:** A mind blower? Wow, thank you! That is every author's aspiration. I am glad you enjoy it so much, and I hope the story will keep blowing your mind. :D_

_**Jackina:** Teal'c as the blacksmith? No, the people at camp are using actual modern firearms – so they would probably not need a blacksmith. ;) The Aschen occupation brought highly advanced technology – and with it, weapons._  
_I was seriously thinking about including Teal'c – similar to Vala – as an alien (a soldier or instructor at camp) who had simply joined the human fight against the Aschen. But then again, I thought that this would be illogical for him. He already has a war to fight: the war to free his people. So why would he join the humans – who at this point are only interested in freeing their own planet – in a completely different war?_  
_I might still introduce Teal'c near the end, but I make no promises. :P_

_**dpdp:** I'll still keep you in the dark about the extent of everything. :D First of all, because I like torturing my readers (*insert evil little giggle here*) and secondly, because this is mostly told from Sam's perspective – and she doesn't know everything yet. It would become boring if the readers did. :D_

_**Guest** and **sammie77a**: This is first and foremost a romance, althought there is (or rather will be) lots of adventure and even violence going on. Soooo, it will take a while until they will find out that they are married – and if you are under the impression that this will be the end of all romantic entanglements, you are mistaken. Prepare for a whole lot more!_

_**John Sheppard**: I will not give anything away, just wait and keep reading. I promise you will not be disappointed._

_**Shattered-Destiny00**, **Mary A**, **EvilTheLast**, **antares04**, and several **Guests**: I am really glad you like the story, and thank you for taking the time to review! :)_

_**LoneWolfOneill**: No arm wrestling challenge, I'm afraid. At least not in the sense of the word. I can't 'steal' everything from the show. ;) Although I do occasionally commit some blatant dialogue theft: "I like women" ring a bell anyone? XD_  
_Sorry for that, but I meant it as a homage to the original – and to built in some parallels between the two universes._

_**mmkbrook**: You bet he is attracted to her. ;) But it would be out of character and highly unprofessional for a character who even remotely resembles O'Neill to jump into bed with a recruit. Besides, I wanted to give Sam credibility, and not make it look like she only got in and promoted and everything because she slept with him. He is their leader after all. So I need to establish their independent characters first before throwing them into the romance lane._

_I think those were all of you who reviewed chapter 7. If I forgot you, please don't hesitate to give me a swift (verbal) kick in the butt for it. ;) Thank you all for your kind reviews!_


	9. Chapter 8 - Disobedience

_Note: The past few days have been freaking exhausting. I pulled 17 hour days, just to be able to post this update for you. My brain is so mushy; I don't even see spelling and grammar mistakes anymore. So if you find any, please tell me since I still don't have a beta-reader._

**Chapter 8 – Disobedience**

It was an uncharacteristically chilly day, especially out in the deep forest whose large trees shielded the ground from sunlight and prevented the air from warming up.

Despite the cold, Sam Carter was sweating from physical effort and exhaustion. She couldn't remember ever having been this completely drained; physically and mentally.

It was field training day – again. It seemed to Sam that she had done nothing else during the past weeks than running through the forest on some make-believe mission. And it always ended the same: somebody screwed something up, and in the end they were all in trouble for it. Their instructor Colonel John Sheppard didn't care whose fault it was – at least not officially, even though Sam had heard rumors that they were keeping detailed records of mistakes and who exactly was responsible for them.

She knew that a lot of the times it was she, who made the mistake, and she was not oblivious to the talk among some of the other recruits who were of the opinion that a 'girl', as they liked to call her, shouldn't even be among them. And with the stupid mistakes that she made, she couldn't even blame them. This pressure added to her stress – and the stress made her make more mistakes. It felt like a vicious circle of frustration.

By now Sam was starting to feel as if her training would never end; and sometimes she wondered if maybe she hadn't overestimated herself and her ability to make it into the resistance. Back when she had set out to find them and join them in their fight against the Aschen, she had not thought about what she would actually have to do to get in. Nothing had prepared her for this: endless days of crawling and running through the forests, superiors who constantly yelled at them, and worst of all having to abide by strict rules and regulations.

For a moment, just the fraction of a second, Sam lost her focus and didn't see the root that stuck out of the ground on the path in front of her. She fell – and the recruit who was running behind her tripped over her, and landed a few feet further ahead in the mud.

"AAARGH… GOD! Carter…"

"Sorry!" Sam stuttered, leaning up on her elbows and wincing when she felt the pain in her knees. No. She would not show weakness. Not again. "You okay?"

"I think you broke my leg!"

Sam pulled herself together and crawled over to the recruit whose name was Jason. He was a decent guy, usually, but he was also very serious and not afraid to speak his mind. That much Sam had learned about him during their training, and she had learned to respect him for that. With him, she always knew exactly what he was thinking.

"It's not broken… probably just sprained…" Sam exhaled relieved after having checked out the fellow recruit's leg. Before he could give her a snippy answer, the remaining two members of their team – who had been quite a bit ahead of them - returned, both out of breath and with a look of complete annoyance on their face.

"What's up? The others are almost there already. We can't lose again!" Hanson, who had been appointed as their 'team leader' today, snapped at them.

Sam didn't even look up at him. She didn't like him. He was arrogant and condescending, and more than once, he had made it clear to her that he didn't like her very much; simply due to the fact that he was of the opinion that women had no place in the field.

"I fell, and Jason couldn't stop in time and tripped over me," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Of course you did," Hanson replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Is his leg broken?"

"No. But he probably still needs to see the doctor. His ankle is swelling up." Sam looked up at him with a cold expression on her face. "I'm going to take him back to camp."

"The hell you will!" His voice was snappy. "Jason, can you walk?"

"Think so."

"Great, then he can make his way back to camp alone."

"No!" Sam snapped and got up. "Even during training, we don't leave people behind… remember? We made that mistake on day one."

For a moment, Hanson looked as if he was about to wring her neck, then he turned around. "Whatever. Do as you wish and take him back to camp. That's probably a better place for you to be anyway. Come on, Derek, let's get the price."

In a mixture of anger and frustration, Sam looked after the two men, and then turned her head. Jason was looking at her with a clueless expression on his face.

"Sheppard is going to have our ass for this again," he then sighed with resignation in his voice. "Why does he have to be such an idiot?"

"Sorry, it was my fault. Just blame it on me. It's not like Sheppard isn't used to me screwing up," Sam joked with a soft sigh and sat up.

"Aren't you afraid of him?" Jason asked after a while, and Sam chuckled.

"Who? Hanson? He's just an immature idiot with an oversized ego."

"No… Sheppard, I mean."

Sam turned her head to look at him in confusion. "No, why? Are you?"

"He's an intimidating guy… and he constantly yells at us. And you know he'll report everything back to O'Neill – who in the end gets to make decisions about our future in the resistance."

"Well…" Sam winced. "It's not like I'm trying to screw up. And if in the end he decides, that I am not fit enough to meet the requirements, so be it. Recently, I've been starting to ask myself that question." Her voice had a tone of resignation to it that made the young man feel sorry for her.

"Hey, you're not that bad…"

"Oh please…" Sam giggled softly. "I just almost broke your leg, so don't you give me the pep talk now!"

"Touché." Jason replied with a smile. "Help me up… let's see if we can make it to the finish line and save at least part of the day."

Sam got up from the dirt and helped the young man to his feet. They had to walk slowly, and Jason was limping considerably, but other than that they were in high spirits and even joked on their way through the forest.

After about ten minutes of walking, they had reached the small clearing where Hanson, Derek and the second group of recruits were already waiting.

Hanson was looking positively annoyed, and Sam knew immediately that he hadn't made it first. Part of her was spitefully glad, and the other part was remorseful for she knew that now, he would take his frustration out on her again.

"Oh, look who's finally here…" he greeted them with an audible hint of irony in his voice. Sam winced and rolled her eyes.

"Knock it off, Hanson." Her voice showed her hint of annoyance.

"Knock it off?" he imitated her tone sarcastically. "We lost… again… and thanks to who is that, huh? Three guesses…"

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"She's sorry… did you hear that…?" He looked in mock-amusement at the other recruits and then shook his head. "Well, if you are sorry…"

"Knock it off, Tim. It is just training." Jason Morris stepped in now, and Sam shot him a thankful glance.

"JUST training?" Hanson repeated. "I'm sorry if you consider it to be this unimportant. Apparently, we have different motives for why we are here. I am good! I am the best – at close combat, at strategy, and at these field training exercises. I want to get a high-ranking position once my training is over – which won't happen if I keep getting paired with her."

"Oh come on, man…" Jason muttered and shook his head. "She tripped, it happened to all of us before. Besides, I didn't pay attention or I wouldn't have tripped over her. It was collective failure."

"Speak for yourself, snakeboy. I never tripped! And if she hadn't tripped we would have won. Instead I am stuck with the losers again!"

Snakeboy. Sam winced. She had heard Hanson call Jason that a few times in anger, but the calm recruit had never really reacted to it. He was tall and very slim: the type that didn't show their strength in their body; hence the very disrespectful nickname.

"Hanson stop, okay? I said I was sorry, there's no need to insult people." Sam stepped in. "It was my fault, so don't take it out on him."

"Oh, are a few harsh words to rough for you? Maybe, you should have stayed at home and kept playing with your dolls, girl. You're not cut out for this."

"Hanson!" One of the other men intervened, but before they could say anything, Sam made a step forward.

"What did you just say?" she asked dangerously low, her eyes reflecting the fury she was feeling at his words. She had enough of his behavior, his constant puns at her gender and his condescending comments.

"I said go home if you can't live up to the standard of males. Women have no place in combat, and least of all in the field – as you keep proving to us!"

"Well, then let me just challenge that theory!" Sam snapped furiously and before he could say another word, she had pounced on him and her fist made contact with the arrogant man's face.

At first, Tim Hanson was completely taken by surprise at her sudden aggressive attack, but only moments later, they were both engaged in a fight that was about nothing but pride. The built-up frustration and hate was reflected in the punches they delivered.

In their combat fights, they had always been respectful towards opponents, and refrained from aiming at the face as best as possible. After all, it was training, and nobody intended to inflict actual hurt on the other person. This fight, however, was about actual anger and therefore it became a lot more intense.

While a number of recruits started cheering them on and placing bets on who would win, others tried to break the two up either with yelled words, or by trying to hold them apart physically – without success.

The fight went on for a few minutes, until – several bruises and a cracked lip later – a voice suddenly interrupted the turmoil impatiently.

"Somebody wanna tell me what's going on here?"

Immediately some of the recruits broke apart, when they saw their base commander enter the clearing with the most annoyed expression on his face that they had ever seen – followed by their field training instructor Colonel John Sheppard.

"Morris, report!" Jack O'Neill snapped, his eyes lying grimly on the group of recruits that were still engaged in the fight and too absorbed in their cheering to even notice his presence. Jason stood at attention immediately when he was addressed.

"Sir… there was a minor misunderstanding about who was responsible for the outcome of today's field training." Jason reported, and O'Neill stared at him for a moment, even more annoyed by this rather vague report. Then his eyes went to rest on the still fighting soldiers.

"CARTER, HANSON!" he bellowed so loud, that the rest of the recruits froze on the spot, completely in shock over the sudden presence of their superiors. Immediately the two addressed soldiers stopped fighting. Only now did they realize that they had high-ranking company.

Jack winced inwardly, when he looked at their faces. Their faces were covered in dirt, they had several bruises on arms and cheeks and Hanson's lip was bleeding.

"You have exactly five seconds to explain to me what the hell is going on and who started this?"

"She did, Sir!" Hanson immediately replied, and before Jack could say something, voices began to rise from the other recruits, and Sam jumped at the man again with obvious rage written over her face.

"He's lying, Sir! He provoked it!" Jason yelled with a hint of outrage in his voice over the turmoil; quite obviously in an attempt to defend Sam. His statement was followed by divided reactions from the other recruits. Some voiced their agreement, others cried out in anger, yelling that Sam had delivered the first punch.

"ENOUGH!" Jack yelled, and grabbed Hanson's arms, pulling him away from the young woman. "CARTER!" he warned, when he saw the deadly expression on the woman's face. "I swear if you deliver one more punch, I will have you on sanitary duty for the rest of your life!"

He didn't know if it was the tone in his voice, or the content of what he was saying, but the young woman dropped her arms and took a few steps back, her breath coming in heavy pants. She turned around and furiously tried to calm down.

"Hanson… it's enough!" Jack warned, before he let go of the young man. Then he stepped between the two. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're a team…"

Silence.

"Are you a team?" Jack asked more insistently now, his voice having a dangerous undertone.

"Yes, Sir." Both Hanson and Carter replied in unison.

Deadly silence followed. Nobody dared to say a word.

"Good. It's at least a start that you two apparently remember being on the same team. Since there seems to have been a misunderstanding about what means, let me just clear it up: On a team, we don't beat each other up, and we don't attack each other. Morris, who started this? And cut the crap this time."

"Well, Sir…" Jason looked visibly uncomfortable. "Hanson insulted Carter, because he felt that our team lost because of her; which caused her to attack him physically. But in all fairness, Sir, it wasn't the first time he targeted her. He made clear that he thought women had no place in the field on numerous occasions."

"Thank you." Jack replied grimly. "Anybody else care to add something to that?"

Silence.

"Since you all seem to have lost the ability to speak, I will just assume that you agree with your fellow recruit's recollection of the events." Jack turned around to face the two delinquents, scanning their faces carefully. Carter looked proud and still angry, but with a visible hint of remorse on her face. At least, she had the decency to stand at attention and keep her eyes focused straight ahead, Jack thought grumpily.

Hanson… Jack's expression became a hint darker. The young recruit looked arrogant and self-serving with the hint of a smirk around his mouth – and he didn't even make an effort to stand at attention.

"Carter," Jack bellowed, feeling a certain amount of anger return. "You have exactly thirty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't put you in detainment for the rest of the week!"

"I can't, Sir. It happened just as recruit Morris said." The young woman replied with a firm voice, her stance not changing. She had become good at the whole regulation thing, Jack noted with quiet satisfaction. That was if one didn't count this little incident. And apparently she was able to stand up to her mistakes as well.

"Are you saying that you did deliver the first blow?" Jack inquired, and the young woman nodded shortly, her eyes still fixed at a point in front of her.

"Yes, Sir, I did."

"Anything you wanna say in your defense? Consider your words wisely, recruit, they might determine your future in this cell."

"I regret having reacted the way I did, Sir. I should not have lost my temper," Sam replied, her voice getting a hint smaller now. "I wasn't thinking."

"Damn straight you weren't," Jack snapped and then strolled over to Hanson. "But then again, thinking isn't exactly the strength of women… is it, Hanson?"

"If you say so, Sir…" The young recruit replied with an open grin on his face now, realizing too late that Jack O'Neill was playing him.

"Wipe that grin off your face, recruit." Jack ordered darkly. "If I ever hear that kind of talk again, I will personally throw you out of my camp. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes, Sir," Hanson replied with shock reflected on his face, his whole body rigid as he was standing at attention now.

Jack turned around to the rest of the recruits. "This is a resistance camp, and not a bar or a kindergarten! We don't start brawls and if brawls happen to start, we don't fire them on! Carter and Hanson, you two will be on sanitary duty for the rest of the week. And I strongly advise you to use that time to work out your differences – NON-VIOLENTLY! If there's one more incident like this, I will throw you both out for good – and I won't care who started it!"

"Yes Sir!" Both of the recruits replied.

"DISMISSED!"

Jack watched as the recruits left the clearing like a pack of beaten dogs, and shook his head. After they were all gone, John Sheppard stepped up next to him, with an amused sparkle in his eyes.

"Wow… the one day, I want to demonstrate how well-behaved they have become, and this happens."

"We might have a problem at our hands, Sheppard." O'Neill replied with concern in his voice without reacting to the man's wry joke.

John Sheppard looked at him and shook his head. "Come on, we both saw what happened. Can you blame her for beating him up? Or at least trying to? Like you or I hadn't done the same thing, if somebody had pulled that crap with us when we were still recruits. I wouldn't call her a problem."

"I'm not talking about Carter. I'm talking about him." Jack replied grimly. "Carter was, albeit angry, remorseful. What she did was stupid, and she realized that. We've had more recruits start brawls in the past and she's no different from them." He shook his head and his face darkened. "Tim Hanson however didn't even care to stand at attention. He doesn't have the slightest respect for command structures, and he deliberately tried to start a fight."

"I admit," Sheppard nodded, "He's ambitious, and those ambitions sometimes get the upper hand."

"Ambition is one thing. But he's not here to satisfy his own personal ambition to be the best. This is not about winning or losing, but about surviving. All he cares about is winning and being first, even if that happens at the cost of his teammates. He was turning against his team to stand out as the best. That's what worries me. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Whenever there's trouble, he is involved in it."

"What do you suggest?" Sheppard asked thoughtfully.

"We'll wait and see how he behaves during the next weeks. If it is necessary, I will deal with him."

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

_3 Days Later_

"I swear, I will kill him."

Sam Carter was beyond frustration when she entered the little tent that she shared with the two women who had become her friends during the past two months. Janet, who was busy reading a book, and Vala, who was painting her toenails, both looked up in confusion.

"He uses every opportunity to humiliate me!" Sam ranted on and threw her boots on her bed. "And that's not even the worst part! The worst part is, that I can't smack him for it, since we're on probation and O'Neill would have my ass for it!"

"Who is she talking about?" Vala asked completely confused. Janet mouthed "Hanson" and then looked at Sam worried, while she readjusted her seat to be able to look at her.

"Maybe you should talk to Sheppard, Sammy. He is the instructor responsible for your training at the moment," she suggested, closing her book and putting it aside.

"Oh, no way! That'll just give Hanson more fuel, and strengthen his opinion that I am a woman and am too weak to solve my own problems. I don't need Sheppard or O'Neill to solve my problems. Besides, the colonel made clear that if one more thing happened, he would throw us both out – no matter who started it. I just wish I was allowed to give Hanson a piece of my mind." Sam sighed and let herself fall back onto the pillow that she had stacked under her sleeping bag.

"Correct me if I am wrong," Janet started. "But you're both on sanitary duty. Shouldn't there be enough work to keep him busy and prevent him from humiliating you?"

"That's just the thing! He refuses to do any work because he thinks it's 'women's work'." She air-quoted the term that Hanson had used and closed her eyes. "This is like a nightmare. I came here to fight the Aschen. And what do I do? Scrubbing toilets, washing dirty laundry and cleaning showers and sinks hardly feels like a vital step in driving them off our world. As a matter of fact, if I had wanted to do that, I could have just as well surrendered to becoming a housewife."

"Hey…" Janet interrupted her worried, sliding closer to her. "What kind of talk is that? You're almost done. Just two more days on sanitary duty, and only three more weeks of training, and you'll be a full member of the resistance."

"I know… it just feels like it will never end. I don't even want to get up in the morning when I think about having to scrub the toilets and showers again with Hanson watching me and making either offensive or lewd comments. Today he grabbed my ass and tried to kiss me; in his own words, in order to 'teach me how to be a woman'. I know he only does it to rub me the wrong way and get me to do something stupid, but I really hate him for that."

"I really think you should report that," Vala noted, and put her nail-polish aside.

Janet agreed with a nod. "That's sexual harassment. I know the colonel has no tolerance when it comes to that."

"He told us to work out our differences. And he made it clear that if something else happened, he would throw us both out. I can't report him, and Hanson knows that!" Sam replied. "Besides, how do you think it will look if I am not even able to solve my problems with another recruit without the interference of a superior?"

"Well, it doesn't sound like this is a banality that you should have to solve on your own," Janet interjected. "Things like that don't happen here usually."

"It won't matter… God… I just want to get away from here. Maybe Hanson is right and I am just not cut out for this," Sam muttered in frustration, and a moment later Vala jumped up.

"Sammy, I know what you need! Come on, get up and get dressed!" she announced excitedly.

"Vala, what are you doing?" Janet asked suspiciously with the hint of an exasperated sigh, and Vala grinned conspiratorially.

"I'm going to take Sammy out to drink. She's been working her ass off the past weeks and got nothing but humiliation for it. She needs a strong drink and a fun girl's night out to lift up her spirits."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Janet tried to dampen her enthusiasm, but Sam sat up.

"Actually, that does sound good. Just going out and having a drink; get away from camp, and Hanson and everything…"

"Sam," Janet interrupted her. "You're not allowed to leave camp until your training is over. Don't you remember your introductory briefings? Vala, I can't believe you're even proposing this."

"Screw the rules," Sam growled determinedly. She was fed up with all the rules and regulations that served to do nothing but humiliate her. "I am not allowed to defend myself, I can't speak my mind and I can't defend myself – this is my free time and I won't let Mitchell, O'Neill or Sheppard dictate what to do with it!"

"Yeah!" Vala affirmed and looked at Janet. "I mean, she's practically one of us already. In three weeks, she'll be allowed to leave camp as she pleases anyway. And besides, who's ever going to know? It's not like we'll announce it or ask for permission. We'll sneak out, and sneak back in before dawn."

"Well, do as you wish, but I have to be up early in the morning. So I'll stay in," Janet replied and shook her head. "Besides, I want to have nothing to do with this."

"You're not going to tell on us, are you?" Vala asked suspiciously for a moment, and Janet rolled her eyes with a soft shaking of her head.

"Janet, I really need to get out. Just once." Sam explained. "I feel like I am losing my mind here!"

"Of course I won't tell on you, but leave my name out of it if you get caught." The young doctor announced determinedly and opened her book again.

"Thank you…" Sam smiled at her. "We'll be back soon!"

"Uh huh…" Janet nodded, visibly discontented with the two women's plan, and watched them leave.

Sam was feeling absolutely ecstatic to get out of camp. For the past two months she had not been allowed to leave the area, so the prospect of going to an actual town with normal people thrilled her to no end. She joined in Vala's giddiness as they were sneaking through the bushes and forest until they reached an area where they could safely walk on a narrow path without being seen by those soldiers who were on watch at camp. Since they were both soldiers and had been trained, it posed no problem for them to sneak through the forest without being heard.

It took almost one and a half hours until they finally saw the light of the town in the distance; time that they spent joking and laughing and chatting.

Vala knew her way around, and Sam realized that she had to have experience with 'against-the-rules'-behavior. The young woman knew exactly when and where to hide. Even after they had reached the little town, they remained careful for, as Vala explained, most of the towns-people knew the members of the resistance.

Carefully, they sneaked through the dark streets to a small grocery store – the only one in town, as Vala explained. While Sam remained hidden in a little backstreet, Vala purchased some drinks from the shop owner at the back door of his shop. By the way she addressed and talked to him, Sam realized that she knew him very well. Finally, she made her way back to Sam, carrying two bottles of whisky, one bottle of vodka and some bottles of beer. Laughing and joking, they made their way back out of town into the forest.

In order to avoid any accidental run-ins with people who knew that Sam shouldn't be outside of camp, they kept wandering through the forest almost the entire way back. It was a lot more bothersome, and the fallen twigs and leaves which had gathered on the uneven forest floor didn't make the walk any more pleasant. However, compared to her field exercises, this little walk – and the excitement of getting caught that came with it – felt like a much needed dose of adventure for the young woman.

Eventually, they settled down on a fallen tree-trunk, not far from camp. The bushes and trees shielded them from the sight of people walking on the little path that led to town.

With a contented sigh, Vala sat down straddling the tree trunk and opened one of the whisky bottles.

"Cheers!" she announced, before she took a large sip. "Oh, this feels so good! I really miss this. You know – just hanging out at night and getting completely drunk."

"I've never done this before!" Sam replied back with a smile, while she sat down next to Vala. Then, visibly careful and hesitantly, she lifted the bottle to her mouth to take a large sip. The next moment she shuddered and flinched, barely able to suppress a cough. Grimacing in disgust, she handed the bottle back to her friend.

Vala started laughing and took another sip. "You'll get used to it… and you'll see if you give it a minute, this stuff makes you feel AMAZING! If you don't like it, just drink faster."

Sam took another gulp, and this time, the brown liquid went easier down her throat, leaving her with the pleasant sensation of warming her up. It didn't take long until they had emptied the first bottle of whisky.

"So," Sam finally started. "You never even told me where you are from."

"Little town," Vala informed her vaguely. "It didn't have many inhabitants, but the ones that it had were all the more criminal."

"Do you still have parents – somewhere?" Sam continued, while she opened the bottle of vodka.

"No. Well, maybe. But my father sold me to a slave-trader when I was ten, so…"

Sam nearly dropped the bottle and stared at the young woman in shock. Vala just shrugged.

"It was common practice in our town."

"Where the hell is that town?" Sam asked, and then lifted the vodka bottle to her mouth to take a huge sip. Vala opened her mouth to reply something, but then faltered for a moment.

"I don't think I can tell you that. It's classified, since you are still a recruit – technically…" She smiled before she mouthed an apologetic 'Sorry'.

"How long have you been a member of the resistance?" Sam asked, and took a huge sip of the vodka. By now she had gotten so used to the taste of alcohol, that she was able to swallow it down like water.

"A few years," Vala explained. "I think it will be three sometime around polar night."

"Have you ever regretted joining?"

"No, not a moment," Vala grinned. "This is just the perfect life, at least compared to what I had before."

"What did you do before?"

"I was a smuggler. And a thief. A robber. A cheat. Whatever the situation required." Vala replied and took the bottle that Sam handed her. After she had taken a sip, she continued, "I didn't have any friends back then. When you are a criminal, you have to be very careful about people, since most of those that you meet are criminals themselves. And now I have a home, and friends, and I don't have to steal to get by. On top of that, I do something that is morally right – most of the time." She laughed, and then looked at Sam curiously. "Do you regret joining the resistance?"

"Well…" Sam started and flinched slightly. "I have had a few doubts in the past two weeks. I'm just not sure I can live up to the expectations. And frankly, I had thought that my work here would be more meaningful."

"Wait, until you are done with training. Your initiation briefing is going to blow your mind," Vala chuckled. She leaned back to grab one of the bottles of beer that they had put into the forest floor right next to the tree trunk. "I personally can't wait to work with you."

"If it ever comes to that," Sam remarked pensively.

"Ah, nonsense," Vala laughed and nudged her. "Come on, have some more vodka. And with every sip, you repeat after me: 'I can do it'."

Sam had to laugh at her friend's cheerfulness. As annoying as the young woman could be sometimes, she had a really good heart, and she definitely knew how to cheer people up.

As the time passed, their initially hushed voices became louder as they were laughing, joking, giggling and talking about camp, the training, town, their surroundings, and whatever else they could think of in their drunken state.

After a while, Vala came up with the idea to play a game of poker. Since Sam admitted, that she had never played it before, Vala started to teach her with a cards game that she always carried in her pocket – just in case they were on a boring mission, as she commented with a mild slur in her voice. After Sam had understood the basic rules, they started to turn their little game of poker into a drinking game.

When the first light in the horizon announced the coming dawn, they were both so drunk, that they didn't even care for the fact that they would soon be missed at camp.

The two women didn't even bother to hush, or tried to hide when two camp-soldiers came walking up to them from the path that went to town.

"Vala…" One of them greeted the black-haired young woman, who, trying to get up from the tree trunk to greet him, stumbled and fell against him.

"Heeey…" Vala chanted with an open smile on her face. "Where are you coming from?"

"We were just about to get the week's ration of fresh bread from town, when we heard your laughter up here. So we figured we'd check out who was hanging around in the forest this close to camp. What are you doing out here at this early hour?" Upon seeing her giddy smile, his eyes narrowed. "Have you been drinking?"

"No." Vala replied with an almost insulted expression on her face, while her body swayed back and forth a little. Then she smiled. "Maybe just a little."

"And who is that?"

"Hi!" Sam replied, holding up the cards. "Wanna play poker with us?"

"Oh… great idea!" Vala inserted. "Come on, boys! Let's play poker! It's more fun when we are four people."

"Um sorry… we're on duty. And you really shouldn't be out here by yourselves." The soldier replied firmly, his eyes going from Vala to Sam, and back to Vala.

"Oh come on, guys, don't be such bores… we'll even make it strip poker!" Vala tried to coerce them, and Sam squealed in protest.

"Vala!" she cried out and got up. "I'm not undressing in a poker game!" She slurred and swayed a little while taking another sip from the bottle of vodka she was holding.

"Siler…" The other soldier leaned in to his teammate. "Isn't that one of the recruits?"

Vala looked at him in mock shock. "What she? Oh please… like I would be out here with a recruit at this time of night! That's forb… forb…" Somehow her tongue had become absolutely incapable of saying the desired word 'forbidden', and so she finally concluded. "…not allowed."

The two soldiers didn't pay attention to her, as Siler now eyed Sam suspiciously. "Um… I think you're right. That's the female recruit."

"Oh come on, guys…" Vala interrupted when he was walking up to Carter, grabbing her upper arms firmly to steady her. The young woman was too wasted to resist. "We're just having a little bit of fun! There's no harm in that! Can't you just – you know – forget that you saw us?"

"She's not allowed to leave camp. Was she down in town?" Stevens, the second soldier, now asked with authority in his voice.

"No." Vala replied again with an expression on her face that was so mischievous, that it belied her words. The two soldiers rolled their eyes.

"Alright, that's it. We're taking you two back to camp." Stevens grabbed Vala's arm to escort her back to camp, but the young woman started to protest.

"Wait!" She hurriedly stumbled to the tree trunk, where she collected her poker cards and the half-emptied bottle of vodka, before she allowed the soldier to grab her again.

Lifting the bottle up to her mouth for a sip, she smiled at the man flirtatiously. "You're cute!"

Impatiently, he took the bottle away from her and threw it away into the forest. "I think you've had enough."

"What are we supposed to do with them?" Siler asked rather clueless, when Carter was now hanging at his arm, obviously on the brink of falling asleep.

"What a question… we'll take them to the colonel. This is a major breach of security, and I don't want to get in trouble for trying to cover it up."

_**A/N:** Alright, I know Sam is getting a little out of hand, but it's all gonna come together. Just stay with me. _

_**And it's review response time!**_

_**mmkbrook**__: I know I was probably a little hard on Sam (and I still am in this and the following chapter), but I figured, it wouldn't be in character if she just simply succumbed to a command structure – especially since she is driven by proving that she is nobody's slave. She ran away from home and her father and the Aschen to not have people tell her what to do. But that is exactly what she has to accept to be told in a command structure. So it has to be hard for her to come to terms with that. Don't worry, she will…_

_**freshbit**__: I absolutely love other characters. I love the ship captain's from the show: Colonel Caldwell, Emerson, etc. They will make an appearance towards the end of the novel, however, I can't have them all in one resistance cell camp. ;P_

_**LoneWolfOneill**__: Wow, thank you so much. You have no idea how happy your words made me, because that was EXACTLY what the characters was intended to do. So seeing that it works is just so great! Thank you, and I hope you will keep enjoying the story._

_**erinn80**__: Ohh… erinn, I am so sorry. This will probably be very long, drawn-out UST. Granted, it's not gonna last 8 years, but I really wanted Sam and Jack to get to know and respect each other, before they jump into bed. Although… there is a minor little interlude coming up in about 4 chapters or so… :D_

_And I am not against Sam having children in general. I just always thought that the way her character was presented, children and marriage were not her first concern – and if she had to decide between her career and family, she would always choose her career. :P It's just the way I interpret her character, and I can't change that… _

_However, I think you will like the ending – I did compromise there, because – especially in the light of human infertility – the subject had to be addressed. And I was toying with the idea, to write two endings – and whatever type you are, you can chose your ending. That way, it would fully satisfy both sides: those who are not interested in Sam getting pregnant and those who are. ;)_

_**Yol**__: Oh, I am so relieved, that O'Neill came over as a character with excellent leadership skills. It was what I was aiming for, but I edited that chapter so much, because I kept feeling that he was being overly cruel with Sam – throwing her in the water and all. ;)_

_**Jackina**__: Yeah, she did have that one coming, didn't she? :D Sam can be so insubordinate – but she will straighten out soon. Just wanted her to transfer slowly into that mature version of herself, otherwise it wouldn't have felt like a credible change._

_**ALIMOO1971**__: Oh no! I hope you receive the notifications for the following chapters. If not, you can go to my website (the link is in my profile) and send me an email on the contact site, and I will set up a subscriber's account on my website for you, where you will receive all the story updates automatically. _

_**esmejasper**__: I have to admit, Cam Mitchell was the only soldier whom I could imagine being that instructor character. Sheppard is too cool for it. Sheppard is like a mini-O'Neill in his humor and attitude, and other younger male characters really didn't come to mind. And somebody like Colonel Caldwell would have been too old and experience already to react the way Cam did. ;) _

_**Smiffy11052**__, __**EvilTheLast**__, and __**dpdp**__: Thank you so much for your reviews! I am glad that you are still enjoying it and apparently recognize the characters. _

_Thank you for taking the time to review! It really makes me happy to read that you all enjoy this story!_

_See you in the next update! *crawls to coffee machine in the kitchen*_


	10. Chapter 9 - Believe Again

**Chapter 9 – Believe Again**

Jack O'Neill slowly got up from his chair, his eyes resting on the two completely wasted women who were standing in front of his desk. His body was calm, and he his outer appearance didn't change, but there was a dark expression of visible anger standing in his eyes. Then his gaze fell on the two soldiers behind them, who had brought them in.

"In the forest you say?"

"Yes, Sir." Stevens nodded.

"Were they in town?" O'Neill inquired with a dangerous undertone in his voice.

"Well, Sir, they didn't openly admit to it, but judging from Maldoran's facial expression when she denied it, we assume that they were. The alcohol had to come from somewhere after all."

"Lies…" Vala interrupted now, taking a step forward to say something. In the process, she stumbled over the edge of one of the wooden boxes that were lying around everywhere. Sam tried to hold on to her, but in doing so, she lost her balance as well, and with a shriek, the two women fell down on top of each other, immediately starting to giggle when they realized what had happened.

"Oh fer cryin out loud," Jack muttered, and rubbed his temples. He waited until Siler and Stevens had managed to put the two in a standing position again, before he folded his arms. They were still giggling whenever they looked at each other.

"CARTER! MALDORAN!" Jack finally snapped at them, and they immediately stood at attention – as best as it was possible in their completely wasted state. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We're having fun!" Sam announced with a bright smile and a little hiccup, before she added a very belated "Sir" to her statement.

He narrowed his eyes, when they started to giggle again. This was ridiculous, he decided. He was way too impatient to deal with two drunken soldiers this early in the morning.

"Carter!" he snapped, and Sam's eyes widened.

"S-Sir?"

"You were explicitly forbidden to leave camp," he stated in a dangerously calm voice. She just stared at him through wide blue eyes. When he realized, that she wasn't going to respond anything, he growled slightly. "Don't you have anything to say in your defense?"

"S-screw the rules… S-Sir!" she responded passionately.

That statement completely put him off, and for a moment he really had to think about what to respond to that.

"Yeah!" Vala joined in. "Screw them! This is a revolt!"

"Wait, what?" Confused, Sam turned her head to look at her friend – an act which prompted her to lose balance again. She stumbled against Vala. "Who s-said anything about a revolt?"

"It just has a nice ring to it… r-r-revolt…" Vala explained enthusiastically with a shrug and a giggle, before Jack interrupted them.

"That's enough! You two are completely out of line, and for your own sakes…"

"OUT OF LINE?" Vala interrupted him loudly with an audible slur and stumbled against him in her eagerness to talk. "No, y-you S-Sir are out of line! My good friend here gets humiliated and sex-u-ally harassed and is forb-forb-not allowed to beat that person up because of you! That, mister, is out of line!" She hit O'Neill's chest. "She's a nice girl! Why do you do that to her?"

"Vala…" Sam interfered, and stumbled between the young woman and her commanding officer. "Vala, s-stop… I told you…" She lowered her voice a little bit – as if O'Neill would not hear her if she spoke lower. "I can handle things, remember?"

Then she turned around and looked at Jack, for a moment taken aback by his size. "Whoa… you're tall…" she muttered, and just stared at him for a few moments. Not only was he tall, but he smelled good, she realized; like shower-soap and something else very pleasant that she couldn't quite define. It completely took her by surprise, and she became unable to focus on anything else. Maybe it was just her, but he was looking incredibly attractive. "Has anybody ever told you, how handsome you are?" she suddenly asked in a slur, almost falling against his chest, when Vala hit her softly with a giggle.

If the situation hadn't been so ridiculous and the content of Vala's accusation so severe Jack O'Neill would have smirked. He grabbed the young woman by the shoulders to steady her. "Focus, Carter."

"Jack… S-sorry S-sir… just forget about what I said… no, wait… she said. What she said."

O'Neill's was becoming increasingly annoyed, as he let go of her and leaned against the edge of his desk now. "Believe me… I wish I could," he retorted grumpily. "Is it true? Are you being harassed?"

"Well…" Sam replied, obviously taken aback by his question. Vala stepped in.

"YES!" She answered Sam's question energetically.

"I was asking her, not you, Maldoran," O'Neill remarked impatiently. He looked at Sam demandingly, until she finally shook her head.

"No S-Sir… it's nothing!" she replied.

"Oh please…" Vala retorted.

Jack growled. "I don't have time to get involved in your practical jokes. If Carter says it's nothing then I am sure it's not as bad as you claim."

"REALLY!" Vala snapped. "S-so this is not that bad?"

With those words she pulled Sam against her, groped her behind and pulled her head in for a full open-mouthed kiss. After an initial moment of shock and complete bewilderment, Sam squealed and hit Vala's shoulders to push her friend off of her. She had, however, completely misjudged the momentum of her force, and so she ended up losing balance. She stumbled against Vala and they both landed on the floor again in a loud turmoil.

"FER CRYIN OUT LOUD, get those two into detainment to sober up! Separate cells!" O'Neill was becoming furious now. Talking to these two women was absolutely useless until they had sobered up. Siler and Stevens hurried to comply with his order, and escorted (although carry might have described it better, O'Neill thought grumpily) the two women out of his command tent.

Then he sunk down in his chair, completely baffled by what had just happened. If the situation had been different, and Carter had not been a recruit, the scene might have even been amusing to a point. However, she was still in training, and this was another one in a series of recent slip-ups, that he just couldn't let pass anymore. Her leaving camp posed a severe breach of protocol that he had to deal with.

And another thing severely concerned him. He hoped that Vala's accusations and her 'reenactment' of what had happened had just been a drunken joke, but if they weren't, there was a severe problem that he needed to address as fast as possible.

It was only the possibility, that what Vala had said was true, that kept him from throwing Sam Carter out instantly.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

The wooden door opened with a soft little squeak of the metal hinges, and bright sunlight streamed into the small cell that was barely big enough to hold a bed.

Sam moaned softly, when the bright light hit her face. She tried to cover her eyes and sat up, only now realizing that she was lying on the hard wooden floor of a small room with barred windows.

"Oh God…" she moaned when her memory slowly provided her with the necessary information to make head and tails of where she was and why she was here. She blinked slightly against the sunlight, and then, when she was finally able to open her eyes, she recognized Jack O'Neill standing in the door.

"Sir!" she exclaimed in shock, and hurriedly got up on her feet to stand at attention. She ignored the stinging headache that her body punished her with as a reaction to the light and her abrupt movement.

"Ah…" Jack commented wryly, "So you have at least regained your sense of respect."

Sam winced and closed her eyes, when more details started to come back to her. "Oh God, Sir… I… I'm really sorry!"

"For the insubordination, or the disobedience?" he asked sharply, and she opened her eyes, her expression reflecting her embarrassment and the fact that she knew she was in deep trouble. Since his question had been a rhetoric one, he didn't expect an answer from her, and therefore went on, "What on Earth was that? You know the rules!" He asked with authority and anger in his voice.

"Yes Sir."

"Are you trying to make me throw you out? Are you deliberately testing how far you can go? Or is this all just a joke to you? Because if it is, tell me, and I won't even waste my time with you anymore, recruit!" He was close to yelling at her now, well aware that she had to be suffering from a horrible hang-over and the volume of his voice probably didn't make it better. He didn't care.

"NO SIR!" Sam responded firmly with just the hint of trembling in her voice.

"No Sir what?" he inquired, and looked directly into her eyes, his body so close to hers, that she could feel the warmth that his skin was radiating.

"No, Sir, it is not a joke to me." Sam responded, her mouth suddenly dry, and heat waves rushing through her at his proximity – a reaction which completely surprised and confused her; especially given the fact that he was angry and yelling at her. This was hardly the time to indulge in such thoughts – not that there ever was an appropriate time for that.

"Then why on Earth did you sneak out of camp to go to town? You're lucky that Vala was with you, or I would have thrown you out already for suspicious behavior. Nonetheless, you knew that you were not allowed to leave camp," he rumbled and Sam closed her eyes.

She pressed her lips together, and opened her eyes again to look at him almost desperately. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Go ahead," he granted grumpily, and watched her struggle for words.

"I'm not sure I should be here, Sir!" Her voice was slightly shaky, and he raised his eyebrows.

"What do you expect, recruit! You break the rules, you get detained – that's standard protocol!"

"I don't mean here in confinement, Sir." Sam clarified and, inhaling deeply, she finally opened up, "I mean here at camp."

Jack studied her without any hint of emotion on his face. She evaded his eyes and after she didn't say anything else for a few seconds, he sat down on the uncomfortable little pallet that was standing against one of the walls of the tiny cell.

It was at that moment, that he knew instinctively that Vala's accusations were true. He had gotten to know Sam Carter during the past two months. Yes, she could be insubordinate, and occasionally she got into trouble for handling things the wrong way. But she had never openly disobeyed the rules before, and she had certainly never backed down from a challenge; which was a quality that he had especially come to appreciate. At this very moment, however, she looked about ready to give up and run away.

"Alright," Jack nodded. "Care to explain why?"

"It's just…" She faltered for a moment. "I just can't help thinking that it was a foolish idea of me to join the resistance. Recently, I have just come to realize that I am not cut out for this."

Jack looked at her with a serious expression, and then, after a moment shook his head. "You know, Carter, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. Are you being harassed?"

She wouldn't bring it up herself, he realized. She was too bound on solving her problems herself; a character trait that he would have otherwise appreciated, but not when it came to harassment. So he decided to not beat around the bush and confront her directly.

"Sir…" For a moment she was put off, apparently not quite sure what to reply. "This is really not about that."

"Oh but it is," Jack interrupted her grumpily. "And it's the only reason why I'm giving you the benefit of a doubt and haven't kicked your ass out already. You have crossed the line, so you better give me a damn good reason not to do just that. You have two options: either you answer my question truthfully, or I will do you a favor and throw you out. So let me ask again: are you being harassed?"

Sam couldn't believe it. He was pressuring her into answering the question? It wasn't fair, and she didn't like to be cornered. So she just held his eyes defiantly, folding her arms.

Jack's expression darkened when he read the open defiance in her face. "Dammit, Carter!" He finally exploded. He knew that he was right about his suspicion by her hesitation to answer his question. "This is not just your problem, but my problem as a leader of this camp. If there is a person here who doesn't follow the rules, I have to know. This is not some lapidary incident that you hide to cover a fellow soldier's ass. Do you want to be stuck on a real-life mission with that person someday? Not to mention that you might not be the only one getting harassed."

Sam's resolve weakened. He was right. She hadn't even considered, that Tim Hanson might act like this again in the future. Maybe not towards Vala or Janet – they were too high-ranked already, but what if there was going to be another female recruit in the future?

She stared at her commanding officer for another moment, before she finally gave in with a sigh. "There might have been a minor incident…" She shook her head immediately, and her face showing determination and reassurance. "It really was nothing that I wouldn't be able to take care of myself, Sir, but you put me on probation for starting a fight already. And you explicitly said if anything else happened, you'd throw us both out, and you wouldn't care for who started it."

Jack leaned back and sighed deeply. "Jeez, Carter…" He was truly taken aback for a moment; by the fact that he had apparently worsened the situation, and also the way in which she played the incident down. "When I put you on probation I didn't mean that you were supposed to just accept harassment."

Jack O'Neill felt miserable, because he knew that, at least in part, the situation was his personal failure. It was his responsibility to prevent things like this from happening, but somehow, somebody seemed to have slipped through the net. It pained him that he had subjected her to that kind of behavior; and then made it worse by putting her on probation. What mostly baffled him, however, was the fact that she was apparently so used to unwanted sexual advances, that she didn't even think it was a big deal.

"I want a name now." His voice was stern as he got up.

"Sir…" Sam shook her head reluctantly. "I can handle it. I shouldn't even have told you. It is only going to reinforce his idea that I am too weak as a woman to deal with problems myself."

Her eyes widened, when he took a step towards her with a threatening expression in his eyes. "Carter! Name! Now!" He was giving her a direct order, they both knew that. And if she had just the tiniest will left to stay here, she had to follow it.

Sam closed her eyes. "Tim Hanson." She finally revealed in a soft tone. "But I am sure it was just a joke. He's trying to rub me the wrong way."

So, Hanson. Jack just stared at her angrily. He should have known. He had hoped that the young recruit would straighten out, because his fighting skills were excellent and the resistance needed an excellent soldier like him. However, instead of working on himself, Tim Hanson seemed to get more and more out of hand.

Not in his wildest dreams had he considered the possibility, however, that the man might actually go so far to sexually harass of his teammates.

Jack had no doubt that Carter was telling the truth; a large part of that knowledge was due to the fact that he knew she had no problem standing up to it when she was at fault. She wouldn't make something like this up. And he had also come to realize that she was a person who was bent on solving her own problems – maybe even more so than what was good for her.

"Something like that is not a joke – or even a prank. Ever!" he corrected her angrily, and then calmed down when he saw the miserable expression on her face. "Sam…" She lifted her head when he used her forename with an almost intimate edge to his voice. "You should have come to me right away, and not opted for breaking the rules."

"Frankly, Sir, it wasn't just about that … it may have been a factor, but…" She pressed her lips together for a moment, obviously struggling to find words. "I can't meet the requirements. I am bad in close combat, I am a complete failure when it comes to field training and we both know I'm not good with the command structure either – as I have just proven yet again. When I decided to go seek out the resistance, I didn't think it would be this hard. I feel like I am in way over my head with all the rules and regulations and I completely misjudged my ability to handle the stress."

Jack was taken aback by her statement for a moment. He had no idea why she was thinking that she couldn't meet the requirements. Aside from her occasional insubordination – which happened less and less frequently – she was not worse or better than most of the other recruits; at least if he was to believe the daily reports that he received from Mitchell and Sheppard.

However, it wasn't unusual for recruits to realize during boot camp training, that they could not handle the mental stress. Although, he had to admit that hearing it from her disappointed him a little. She was by far the most fierce, spirited soldier that they had ever trained.

It was hard to find people who did not completely shut their heads off during boot camp. Most of them learned to completely rely on their orders without thinking about them, and they became excellent foot soldiers. Sam Carter was different. She refused to stop thinking for herself, and that was something very valuable – even though at the moment, her strong will still seemed to collide with her training. But once she had learned that following orders and having a will of her own were not opposites, he had no doubt in his mind that she would be a soldier with the potential to make it very high up the ranks.

He nodded with a hard expression on his face, hating the idea that he might lose her as an asset.

"If that is how you feel, you are free to leave at any time. If this is about the harassment, I apologize and assure you that it won't happen again. If it isn't, I really don't know what to tell you except that I don't need people who don't have confidence in their own abilities."

Sam looked at him, completely baffled by his words. Her facial expression showed a visible amount of hurt, and Jack sighed.

"I don't do pep talks during training, Carter. If you feel that you're not up to the task, go. I know this might sound harsh to you now, but my job here is not to fire soldiers on and convince them that they can do it. I kind of expect people to have that confidence as a start-out requirement. I know that you did have that when I first met you. So I hope you can either find it again, or I'd prefer that you left now."

He scanned her with his eyes for a moment, and when she didn't reply anything, he went on. "The truth is: it will become a lot harder than this. If you need somebody to comfort you and tell you everything is gonna be okay, you've come to the wrong person. You will get into dangerous situations that require a cool head, and you will possibly see people die; maybe even friends. You will most likely be ordered to do things that you don't like or agree with at some point in the future – like killing somebody. If you feel that boot camp is too much for you to handle, then frankly I don't think you will be able to make it in the field, and I'd prefer it if you left."

Sam lowered her head and closed her eyes, which slightly made him regret his harsh words.

"I don't mean to be cruel, Sam, but this is a resistance camp, not a summer vacation. We are training you for war. And to tell you that things are going to get easier would not be fair to you."

"I understand, Sir," Sam nodded, her voice sounding empty now.

"If you want out, all you have to do is tell me," he went on, and she lifted her head abruptly to look at him. He simply turned around.

He didn't want to have her answer now – her hung-over state was hardly the moment to make important and possibly life-altering decisions like that.

"I'm putting you under arrest until tomorrow morning. That should give you enough time to sleep it off and clear your head. You have until after tomorrow's recruit briefing to come up with a decision on whether you want to stay or not – that is, if I don't decide to throw you out myself for your blatant disregard of regulations. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Sam nodded, her voice small when she added, "For what it's worth, I didn't mean to cause trouble. And I didn't sneak out to break the rules. I just wanted to get away, and feel that I was with a friend for once."

Well, at least she still cared enough about her future in the resistance to try to explain her actions to him, he thought quietly. And in the light of the situation, he could even understand what she had done, and why she had done it. He didn't turn around, but merely nodded. "Noted, recruit. I'll see you tomorrow at the briefing."

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

_Next morning_

"Good morning, people!" Jon Sheppard sounded like his usual cheerful self, when he looked at the two rows of recruits standing at attention in front of him. It was 6am in the morning, but the dark-haired soldier, whose hair always looked a little bit unruly like it had just been ruffled, didn't seem to mind the early hour at all. "At ease."

Sam relaxed her stance, and then noted nervously, that Jack O'Neill was joining Sheppard in the front, carrying a few papers and a folder in his hand.

"I can see that most of you are thrilled for another day of field training with me," Sheppard noted wryly, well aware that most of the recruits were fed up with having to run through the forest all day. "But before I brief you on today's training mission and divide you into teams, there are a few matters that need to be addressed."

He paced up and down in front of them. "It seemed that, during the past week, discipline got a little lax with some of you, and things happened that cannot be tolerated; not by me, and not by our camp commander. We won't go into details here, but I believe the people in question know who I am talking about."

Sam visibly shrunk down in embarrassment, and she felt increasingly nervous. It didn't take a genius to guess that this little speech was solely directed at her and her little detour to town two nights ago.

"So let me take this moment," Sheppard went on, "to clear a few things up. The rules are not in place to make your lives hard, but to protect all of us. So any time one of you decides to ignore or bend them, you are putting not only yourselves in danger, but also the rest of us. From now on, any deviation from the rules will therefore be punished by exclusion from training. You all know what that means: no training – no admittance into the resistance." He looked around, scanning every recruit with his eyes, but not giving away which ones of them he was addressing. Then he lifted a piece of paper that O'Neill handed him, and went on.

"Among the most important rules are: You are under no circumstances allowed to leave camp – not even with another member of the resistance – unless explicitly ordered to do so by a person carrying the rank of colonel." He looked up from the piece of paper. "That means, either Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Mitchell or myself," he clarified unmistakably. "Furthermore, from today on, there will be a curfew in place: You will all be in your tents by 10pm at night. You will speak respectfully to your fellow recruits without starting brawls, and you will follow given orders to the letter. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" The group of recruits replied dutifully in unison.

"Well, that's a start," Sheppard commented with a hint of sarcasm. "Unfortunately, for one of you this eagerness to follow rules comes too late. After an extensive discussion and review of all of the training records, we have decided, that there's a limit to how much misbehavior we are willing to put up with."

Sam froze and she felt like her heart was about to stop, when Jack O'Neill's eyes went to lock with hers. She paled visibly. That was it, she thought quietly. They had decided to throw her out. O'Neill had made clear yesterday, that he hadn't made a decision about what to do with her yet, so she really shouldn't be this shocked.

And in the light of what she had told him yesterday about how overwhelmed she was feeling, she should be relieved that he and Sheppard were making the choice for her. Nonetheless, she felt like crying, and it was at that moment that she realized what she really wanted.

She wanted to be part of the resistance, no matter what the cost. She would grow stronger if that was what she needed to do in order to be able to handle it. And she knew that she could be better. It didn't matter what it took, she would plead with them to give her another chance, and she would show O'Neill that his initial trust in her had not been misplaced.

"Tim Hanson, would you please step forward." Sheppard announced gravely serious now, and a murmur went through the rows of recruits. Sam turned her head to look at the young man step forward in surprise. When he was standing in front of Sheppard, the instructor looked at him coldly. "Pack up your things, you're out."

"Sir?" The young man replied, visibly shocked by the unexpected expulsion. "I have exemplary training results."

"So you do," Sheppard nodded, "You're a good fighter, however, it is not just fighting skills that we are looking for. And all things considered, we decided that you don't meet the necessary requirements."

The recruit became visibly outraged. "I am better than all of them! You said you reviewed the records, so you must have seen that I excelled in all classes! Is this about my failures in field training? Because let me tell you…"

"This matter," Sheppard interrupted him sharply, "is neither open for discussion nor negotiation. You may have excelled at most of the exercises – but you did so at the cost of your teammates. So let me make this clear for all of you at this point! If any of you think that they can use their newly learned skills to harass and intimidate fellow recruits, please step forward now. It saves us the trouble of having to kick you out. We are a team here. We will not tolerate bullying, intimidation or sexual harassment! Is that clear once and for all?"

"Yes, Sir!" The group replied again.

"Stewart, please escort Hanson to his tent and see that he packs up his stuff." Sheppard looked at Hanson. "You'll be sedated and escorted back to the place you were recruited at. From there you are free to go wherever you want. Don't make any attempts to join the resistance again."

With a mixture of shock and bewilderment, the group of recruits watched their fellow recruit escort Tim Hanson away from them.

"Now… may I have your attention please for today's mission briefing?" Sheppard continued as if nothing had happened, forcing the recruits to pay attention to him.

Sam only listened partly, because she would be on sanitary duty for another day. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Instead of throwing her out, they had thrown Hanson out. One part of her felt guilty, since she knew that the young man had been thrown out because of what she had told O'Neill; however, the other, much bigger part of her felt incredibly relieved and light-hearted. This was it! She would not be humiliated or pushed around anymore. She hadn't even realized, how much the situation had stressed her out.

"Carter!"

She only realized that her name had been called when Jason next to her gently nudged her. In confusion, she looked up at Sheppard, realizing that everybody was staring at her.

"Um… yes, Sir?"

Sheppard had to suppress a little grin. "Daydreaming, huh? Well, you better wake up, you're on team D today, so I suggest you pay attention to the mission briefing."

After her confusion faded, Sam's face brightened up. "Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

She was on a team? Did that mean, that her sentence had been suspended? She watched until Sheppard had assigned the rest of them alphabetically to a team.

"Alright." Sheppard finally got up from the box that he was sitting on. "Let's go to the training grounds and I will all hand you your mission sheets. Not you, Carter. You report to the colonel first, and join us later on."

"Yes, Sir." Sam nodded, and remained in place, while the rest of the group moved out. When they were out of hearing distance, she slowly walked up to her camp commander.

"We decided – in the light of what happened," O'Neill started, "to suspend your sentence. You can partly thank Maldoran for that, because she spent the entire day yesterday getting on my nerves trying to convince me that she talked you into the little drinking adventure."

"She didn't talk me into…" Sam started to protest and Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Carter! I don't wanna hear anything about that anymore!" he interrupted her, before she started into an extensive defense of her friend – which undoubtedly would have ended with her incriminating herself. "You're both lucky, that Vala Maldoran is a full member of the resistance. She got reprimanded, and was in confinement until she was sober, but I will refrain from taking further action."

"Yes, Sir," Sam nodded and then smiled. "Thank you, Sir."

"Don't thank me yet, Carter, because you'll be under strict supervision from now on. You will not solve your problems on your own anymore. Any problem that might arise will be discussed with the officer responsible for your training. One more slip-up, and you are out, understood?" he informed her briskly, before he inquired in a friendlier voice, "That is, if you have decided to stay with us?"

"Yes, Sir…" Sam nodded. "I have. I really want to go through with this training."

O'Neill looked at her undefinably and folded his arms, while he sat down on the edge of the wooden box, that Sheppard had sat on before.

"I can do it, Sir! I know it's not going to be easy… but I realized that I really don't want to leave. And I promise, I won't disappoint you."

She felt slightly uncomfortably under his scrutinizing stare, and shifted slightly.

"Alright," he finally nodded, obviously pleased with her new-found self-security. "I think you should know that we have reviewed your training files as well. Both Sheppard and Mitchell are of the opinion that you have the potential to become an outstanding fighter; provided that you get a grip and stop acting against the rules."

Sam stared at him, her eyes wide in surprise. Sheppard – and even Mitchell – had said that? For a moment she wondered whether this was his sarcastic humor showing through. Surely Mitchell couldn't have such a high opinion of her; all he did was yelling at her during combat training.

"Oh fer crying out loud, Carter. Don't look so surprised," Jack muttered and Sam nodded quickly.

"Yes, Sir."

He looked at her for another long moment, before he went on, "From now on, no more fights, and no more nightly drinking tours with Vala."

"Yes, Sir! You have my word." Sam responded firmly.

Jack smirked slightly and nodded. "Report to your team, recruit!"

"Yes, Sir!"

**Look forward to the next update!**

_A/N: Alright, this was it. I promise. At least for a while, Sam is done messing up. Now her brilliant side will shine through… :P_

_And I know Jack was cruel in this chapter. He had very harsh words for Sam, that some of you might find disturbing. Well, in the first version of the story, he was giving her the pep talk. But when I then read over it again, I realized the following things:_

_It made Sam look complete weak, having to have a pep talk from a third person to find the strength to go on. I didn't want her to be this dependent. The first few chapters have pretty much established her as a 'phoenix from the ashes' character. No matter what happened, she found the strength to pick herself up and go on, and that led to her growing as a character. I didn't want this to change at this crucial moment._

_Jack doesn't give pep talks. Not the cozy, comforting 'you can do it' ones anyway. And why should he? He is a soldier, and he has already been through a lot of dark things. (Okay, you the readers don't know that yet – I will go into Jack's past in a later chapter; although what he says kind of foreshadows a little bit of his past) He knows the reality of what the work is like, and he knows that people who need daily pep talks do find the courage to fight won't make it in the field._

_In Jack's words "It's a resistance camp, not a summer vacation. We are training you for war." I actually inserted that after I myself realized how tough such a training camp would be. _

_So I really hope you don't start to hate Jack now!_

_Review Response Time! YAAAAY!_

_**mmkbrook** and **dpdp**: Ooh, I hope you won't start to hate Vala. We know her from the show as somebody who doesn't necessarily have a good feeling for right and wrong, but she has a good heart! ;)_

_**avonleashores**: Oh it's still gonna be a while until they find out about the marriage! I took my time with that, since it is kinda one of the main plots of the novel. Aaah… I love suspense… :D_

_**veronica**, **EvilTheLast**, **ALIMOO1971**: Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad you are still enjoying the story and I hope you like where it's going. :)_

_**LoneWolfOneill**: Thanks! Yes, I hoped to portray O'Neill as objective as possible. It was really hard to find the right mixture between UST, showing that he does feel attracted to Sam, and him treating her like a normal recruit. So glad you like it! :)_

_**freshbit**: Wait until the next chapter, and she will have her major breakthrough. Actually, the next two or three chapters were the reason for why I inserted the training chapter and made it hard on her. She was just feeling too perfect without her initial struggles._

_**vcm**: Well, your review made me think a little bit about Jack's character, and rewrite chapter 9 with regards to this issue. He wasn't oblivious to his bad behavior – as indicated in chapter 8 where he talks about Hanson with Sheppard. He has simply misjudged Hanson's bad character potential. _

_I think, it is important to show that Jack messed up there a little bit too. I portrayed him as a character with excellent leader skills, but even he should get to mess up from time to time. It makes him feel more human._

_**erinn80:** I changed Hanson's first name from Jonas to Tim, because I already called Sam's Aschen boyfriend Jonas (which was inspired by Jonas Hanson). I added chapters 7-9 very late, so when I wrote the first chapters, I didn't know yet, that I would actually have use for a character that violent. :P True, I could have changed it, but I really didn't want to. I figured, not every character has to be exactly the same as on the show. So I just kept Hanson's last name and called him Tim instead of Jonas to prevent having to guys named Jonas (who would both happen to be very unfriendly towards Sam). I hope that makes sense. =(^o^)=_

_**Yol**: Don't worry, the recruits are only the new members of the resistance. The resistance itself is much older already. The next chapter will clear a lot of things up. ;) And the recruits will straighten out!_

_**Jackina**: It was really stupid. But hey, she is young… in their society, she has just come of age. (Remember, people come of age at 25.) So why should she not be allowed to mess up? It is from our mistakes that we learn the most, and I think, in this case, it is Sam's mistakes that will make her excellent in the future. _

_**NION**: SORRY! I didn't mean to be so harsh on Sam. I have never been in the army, but my father was. And he often told us stories about how he got in trouble. And most of the times it was, because he and some of his fellow officers sneaked out of base at night to go out and get drunk.  
And they got punished and yelled at for it. Granted, that was the German defense army, but I'd imagine, the American army's bootcamp is a lot harsher._

_** .5**: Oh, wow! Thank you so much! I'm so happy that you find it cool! Actually the credit goes to my muse. I don'T even do much. The stories usually just pop into my head and I see them like movies with all the details and all. So I just sit down and write what I see in my mind. :) I am so happy you like it so much. _

_Concerning the relationship between Sam and Jack: I am still trying to keep it subtle. I mean, they only just met a few months ago, haven't really worked together and are still in a very uneven professional relationship. Their attraction towards each other will surface pretty soon. But I like subtle in the beginnings. :)_

_**dvoraksymphony8**: Agonizing UST? Wow… cool. :D Yeah, I was aiming for UST, I just wasn't aware that it was that strong in the first chapters yet. I just love UST with eventual RST (resolved sexual tension), because that way you have the chance to build the suspense and really build their relationship. _

_And this story gave me the opportunity to build their relationship from scratch, so I wanted to get it right. But, I have to warn you, it will get more agonizing before it gets better! :)_

**_As always, if I forgot somebody, feel free to send me an angry PM, put me on your blacklist or something. :D Because I really appreciate that you guys take the time to review in addition to reading the story, and I am so happy that you still like it!_**

**_Please keep enjoying the story. And if you find any grammar mistakes, feel free to give me a hint. _**


	11. Chapter 10 - Briefings

**Chapter 10 – Briefings**

_Roughly 3 weeks later_

It was still early in the morning. The sun had just risen, and the grass was still covered with the frost of the night that would thaw during the morning hours and then dry until noon. Sam walked slowly towards the small tent that supplied them food and drinks, and smiled at the boy who was working inside.

"Hey, Martin," she said to the 18-year-old, who was too young to be admitted into one of the teams yet.

"Morning ma'am!" he greeted her eagerly and smiled. Sam rolled her eyes.

"How often do I have to tell you not to call me that. It makes me feel old. I'm just coming for some coffee."

"Just a coffee, ma… Sam?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "I have a sandwich lying here for you, too."

"No, just a coffee."

"But Doc Fraiser explicitly ordered me to make sure that you receive all the food designated for you," the boy insisted and handed her the designated sandwich on a plate. "You know the drill. I'll get into trouble if you don't take your food."

"Fine," Sam shrugged and balanced the plate on her wrist, while pouring herself a coffee. She would eat it later on, but if she was to survive the upcoming briefing, she needed a coffee first.

With the desired beverage finally in her hand, she walked towards the briefing tent and entered. Four recruits had already arrived, and Sam smiled at them. "Morning."

She was greeted by grumpy mumblings that mirrored how she felt inside. Nobody liked those damned morning briefings, but this one would be especially extreme. It was scheduled to go on until the afternoon. It was going to be straining, but hopefully it was going to be her last briefing.

Sam had finished her training on the previous day, passed all the tests with decent reports and was now eligible to be assigned to a post within the resistance. Three months of training were finally coming to an end.

One after another, the rest of the recruits arrived in the small tent. There were only eleven of them left. They had initially started out with nineteen, but aside from Hanson, who had been kicked out, seven others had decided to leave training one by one.

Sam smiled at Jason Morris, who took his seat next to her. "Hey, good morning!"

"Morning, Sam. That does not happen to be a ham sandwich?" he looked at her sandwich with obvious envy in his eyes and Sam laughed softly.

"Trade you for the turkey."

It had become somewhat of a ritual between them to trade their sandwiches. She was still on an alternated nutrients plan, which meant that she received richer meals – which she didn't really care for. So she was happy to trade food with him.

During the past three weeks, they had often gotten paired up on the same team, and so they had gotten to know each other better. Sam had really started to like the tall and slender man, who had proven to be an excellent soldier.

"Good morning, recruits!"

When they heard the voice of their commanding officer, all of them jumped up at cue, saluting with their hands at their forehead. "Good morning, Sir!" It had become such an automated reaction, that Sam didn't even think about it anymore. Jack O'Neill walked past the wooden boxes they were sitting on to the front where a cheap wooden table and a blackboard were standing.

"At ease, sit down," he said and they all sat back down. He put a number of rolled up posters on the table, and then sat down on the edge of the table, looking at them. "During the past three months you have all received basic combat and weapons training, that provides you with the basic skills to survive as part of our resistance operations. So, let me be the first to congratulate you. As of today, you are considered full members of the resistance."

He looked around in the small group. "You have all – without exception – satisfied our expectations. Well… you know I don't like long speeches, so I'm gonna cut it short. I hereby announce your official promotions to full members. Welcome to the team, and we are happy to have you. During the past few days, we looked through your training records to determine the ideal field of work for each of you according to your skills. Therefore, some of you will leave us today to join other cells and continue their work there. You will learn, which cell you have been assigned to in a moment. After that, there is a lot of background information that you'll have to learn – depending on which cell you will be working on. So during the course of today's briefings, you will learn about your respective cell's operations, the history behind it, and what your tasks will be. In the evening, you will have the opportunity to say goodbye to friends who got assigned to other cells – but please do not discuss any of the information that you learned during your briefings. Now, that said, lean back, and enjoy the show," he joked dryly. "As you all know our beloved friend Daniel here," he pointed at Daniel who was entering that tent at that very moment, quite visibly still very sleepy, "is famous for his insightful and not at all boring lectures that will wake you all right up."

The statement was dripping with sarcasm, and Sam had to lower her head and suppress a little smile at that comment. Daniel Jackson was famous for his, albeit insightful, very drawn-out lectures. Daniel shot his friend an ironic look.

"Thanks, Jack."

"You're most welcome, Daniel. So, Daniel here will take care of the rest and give you a bit of an introduction into the history and science – y'all know how much I hate doing those things." Jack stepped aside and sat down on a box, leaving the field open for Daniel.

Sam looked at him with interest. She enjoyed the company of the archeologist, even if it was only for the fact that he seemed to be one of the few scientists that were actually willing to talk to her – aside from Janet. Most of the other scientists didn't even seem to notice the presence of any of the recruits.

"Alright…" The archeologist rearranged his glasses and looked through his notes. "Let me just dive right into this: You are all part of the resistance now, and certainly some of you have suspected, that there's more to the resistance than just this group. At the moment, you are staying at the basic training camp operated by resistance cell 4. Resistance cell 4 is one of fifteen cells spread all over the entire planet. Each cell has its own specialty or region it operates in. Due to the sensitive nature of our operation, the location of each cell's base of operations is being kept secret. Members of different cells are not allowed to have contact to each other to protect the operation in its entirety."

He paused for a moment, and went through his notes. "Alright, let me just see how to do this. Your briefings will vary depending on your cell. Reyes, Millowitz, Wong, Stewart, Longfellow and Niles." He looked up from his sheet of paper, when the addressed recruits jumped up at attention. "You will be assigned to other cells so please report to Colonel Sheppard, who will give take care of the rest of the briefings. The rest of you will start working in resistance cell 4 for now."

They watched the six recruits leave the tent with enthused expressions on their faces, before they turned their attention back to Daniel Jackson. "Okay, well, welcome aboard cell 4. You're all part of our family now. Since you won't be switching cells, you are all familiar with the procedures and the people to address if problems arise. So let me give you in introduction into our cell's history and what we do. As you all know, there is a device in Washington D.C. which is commonly referred to as the Stargate, a gate which allows us – or rather the Aschen since humans are forbidden from using it – to travel thousands of light years through the galaxy to their home world. Ever since the Aschen arrived on our planet over 700 years ago, it was generally assumed – not lastly due to the information they provided us with – that they themselves were the builders of the gates."

Sam was instantly awake, put her cup of coffee on the box next to her and bent forward. Her interest had peaked the moment she had heard the word 'Stargate'.

Daniel unfolded a large map and put it on the blackboard in the front of the tent, where he fixated it with magnets. Sam recognized the map from her history books. It showed Earth, as it had looked up until 200 years ago.

"About 200 years ago, when the Aschen started to set up their weather control systems on our entire planet to increase the productivity of Earth's farmlands, the huge masses of ice that had covered the North and South pole here and here…" He showed the two ice-covered poles on the map. "…started to melt, and by accident it was discovered that there was a second 'Stargate' buried deep under the ice of the South Pole." He turned his head to look at them. "As most of you are aware, the poles were covered by massive amounts of ice and were actually still three times of the mass that they are today." It was basic information that every kid learned at school, but two of the men still looked as if they heard of it for the first time now. Daniel turned around again to the map before he went on. "Due to the massive change and the inhospitableness of the Pole regions, it took years for it to be found. When it was finally discovered, the entire landscape had already changed and turned into a thriving forest area. Due to the fact that the area was not usable for farming, mostly because of the absence of light during the winter season, but also due to the forests and the solid rock ground that cover vast areas of the region, the second gate was never discovered by the Aschen but by a group of humans."

He turned around to face them, while he rearranged his glasses.

"That is where you are now by the way. I know you all weren't allowed to know our location until now, so I guess you have all been wondering about that for a while. So… welcome to the Antarctica forests."

He smiled cheerfully, obviously expecting some kind of enthusiasm, but when he saw the confused glances between the recruits, he decided to just go on, "Okay then… Let me give you a little bit of an overview of the history of our planet since the Aschen started to use the weather control units."

What followed was an almost two hour lecture about the changes that the weather control systems had caused on earth. Sam was mildly bored, when she saw the vast oceans and the large amount of salt-water still present in the 1800s – most of which had disappeared due to the water converters that were used by the Aschen in the effort to convert salt water into drinkable sweet water.

Especially the conversion of the vast desert lands into a fertile landscape, that could be used for farming, had taken up huge amounts of converted salt water, and so the oceans had shrunk considerably. That had left behind a lot more land-mass for farming. Most of what Daniel was telling them, was information that Sam had already been familiar with one way or another.

Her father had not only made sure that she received private teachings in science, but in basically all the study subjects, that men were required to have basic knowledge of if they wanted to attend a university. Therefore she waited almost impatiently for Dr. Jackson to return to the subject that interested her most: the Stargate.

They possessed a second Stargate. Where was it? What was it used for? Was it still functional at all?

Eventually, the archeologist returned to the desired subject. "When the Stargate was first discovered by two of the founding fathers of our resistance, they didn't know what to do with it. They didn't even know how to use it, because the Stargate had been commonly believed to be an Aschen invention, and was thought to lead to the Aschen home world only.

The fact that there was a Stargate on Earth, that the Aschen apparently knew nothing about, therefore came as an understandably big surprise. They wisely decided to keep their discovery secret from the Aschen government. Secretly, they began recruiting people into what became the first cell of our resistance over 150 years ago. Ever since then, our group has grown by considerable large numbers, and spread throughout the world. This place, however, was the original birthplace of the resistance.

During the past century, the resistance managed to recruit some of the smartest people on the entire planet, and eventually the so-called 'Stargate Program' was formed. After lots of research and study and planning, it was decided to test the gate's functionality over 50 years ago. This had to be done very carefully, because a Stargate can be easily located on earth due to its seismic effects – and up to this day we have not found a solution for that problem. So finally, when the first tests were conducted, it had to be precisely timed to be within a certain strict time frame that the Aschen use in between their gate activities for purposes of recharging the Stargate power cell."

"4 minutes 26 seconds," Sam murmured more to herself, the thoughts in her mind going crazy as she disbelievingly started to make sense of the possible implications of what Daniel was saying. The second Stargate could be used! And the Aschen could not be the builders of the gate, if they had not even known that there was a second Stargate on Earth. Her theories had not just been vague speculation, but they had been correct!

In utter surprise, the eyes of both Daniel, as well as Jack shot to her at her words. "Um…" Daniel replied, slightly put off. "Yes, that's correct. The Aschen use exactly 4 minutes and 26 seconds in between their gate travel activities. Um… how exactly do you know that?"

The eyes of everybody in the room were resting on her now, and Sam blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't even realized that she had said it out loud, and didn't like being the center of all the attention, especially when the information she had just received was so overwhelming that the sheer amount of data that she was missing to make sense of all of it intimidated her. "I just came across that information once when I was – um – snooping around their system. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just thinking out loud. Please go on."

Jack leaned forward now, his eyes narrowed and firmly resting on young woman. His face betrayed complete and utter fascination at what she had just said. 'Snooping around the Aschen system'. She had used the words, as if it was not more complicated than an afternoon stroll in the park. Daniel looked at him, still visibly put off by the young woman's inside knowledge of the matter; but when the camp commander didn't say something, he decided to go on. "Well, as I was saying…"

"Daniel, just a moment, if I may…" Jack interjected suddenly without taking his eyes off Sam, who was feeling visibly uncomfortable now. "Carter, what exactly do you know about the Stargate?"

"I… um…" Sam replied rather insecurely. "Knowing, Sir? Really not a lot. I know it's the device the Aschen use as a connection to their home world. It is a ring made of a material called naquada that forms a stable wormhole that allows matter to pass through…"

"Okay," Jack interrupted her, before she could recite all of the standard textbook material, "I was actually referring to those things that are not in the school books."

"Sir?" Sam asked, mildly put off, not sure what he wanted from her.

"You apparently know the timeframe between gate-travels. Anything else that you know about the gate, that isn't in the book?" he asked patiently.

"Well," Sam started, her face showing her concentration. "I was fortunate enough to sometimes gain access…" She left out the 'illegal' part. "…to the Aschen system and study their schematics of the gate and the dialing device that belongs to it. That allowed me to learn more about the system itself than what they tell us in the books. For example, it is really fascinating that there's something about the system of the Stargate itself that is a lot more advanced than Aschen technology. I am no expert, but the program that the Aschen use to operate and control the Stargate seems to be more of a bridge program than the final control unit. That lead me to conclude that the Aschen might not be the builders of it as they always claimed to be. What Dr. Jackson just said about the Aschen being unaware of a second Stargate on Earth strengthens this theory." She realized that Jack and Daniel exchanged a meaningful glance and fell silent for a moment. "Of course that is just a vague speculation, Sir. I am not a scientist."

"Go on, please," Jack finally offered calmly, slowly turning his head back to look at her.

"Well, Sir, let's assume for a moment that the Aschen are not the original builders; that raises the inevitable question of who is. But even more importantly, it could mean that the gate does not only connect to the Aschen home world, but possibly even to a whole number of planets in our galaxy or maybe even beyond that. This thesis can also be supported by the fact that there are 39 symbols, and the gate comes in connection with a dialing device. Why would you need 39 symbols to connect to only one world?"

Sam looked from her commanding officer to the archeologist, who was staring at her with wide eyes and rearranged his glasses. When nobody stopped her or said anything, Sam went on to further clarify. "We learned from the way we – or rather the Aschen - dial their homeworld, that 7 symbols are needed to establish a connection. We can easily do the math: with 39 symbols, there are roughly 1.9 million possible combinations that the gate might connect to – provided every symbol can only be used once per combination, and provided that every additional address consisted also of exactly seven symbols. If that is not the case, then there's a potentially infinite number of destinations that could be dialed. Of course, even a number of 1.9 million is highly unlikely, given the calculations by leading astrophysicists about inhabitable planets in our own galaxy. So it is probably more likely that only five to ten percent of all the possible addresses will lead to another world. I just haven't come up with a system yet, that would make sense of the different symbols, so it's really all speculation, but…"

"Coordinates," Daniel interrupted her, his eyes still glued to Sam in utter fascination.

"What?" the young woman asked, momentarily confused by his interruption.

"That's the system. They are coordinates in space." Daniel clarified, while he kept staring at her.

Coordinates! The most obvious solution and she hadn't thought of it! "Oh my God…yes, of course…" Sam murmured, her face completely concentrated, as her brain processed the information in seconds. "That makes sense if you take into account the vast dimensions of space." Suddenly something else dawned on her and she looked from one man to the other. "Oh my God, it's not just speculation, is it? It's true."

"Um… yes, yes it is." Daniel nodded. "And it took our scientists almost a century to figure that out; so the question is how on earth do you know all that?"

"I just… like physics…" Sam replied somewhat embarrassed.

"No kidding," Jack commented from his corner and straightened out slightly. "Carter, when this briefing is over, I want you to report to me. I want to move you into the science division for now."

"Yes, Sir." Sam nodded, a happy smile flashing over her face. He noted it with confusion at first, then returned her smile, when he realized how absolutely happy his order seemed to make her. He had expected resistance or disappointment from her after she had gone through the ordeal of the months of physical training to become a soldier, but on the contrary: she seemed to be thrilled.

Not that the two fields were mutually exclusive. It would be invaluable to have somebody who was actually both: a trained soldier and a scientist.

The briefing went on for another five hours, and Sam – as well as the remaining recruits that had been assigned to cell 4 – learned all about the working Stargate, and the teams that were sent out to explore other worlds.

About 30 years before, a random combination had proven to be successful and opened the gate to a world with a friendly but primitive people. Although they had had nothing to offer technologically, they had been able to provide them with an entire list of gate addresses retrieved from one of the older parts of their city. Over time and by visiting other worlds, that list had expanded more and more, so that they now had thousands of working gate addresses to planets which they still needed to visit.

While most of the worlds they visited had been friendly, they occasionally had run into a race called Jaffa, who apparently served powerful aliens called Goa'uld. These Goa'uld were bent on ruling the galaxy and used humans as slaves. They had not learned much about this very aggressive race yet, because luckily, the contact had been minimal so far. However, as Daniel explained, those of them who would go through the Stargate eventually to visit other worlds had to be prepared to run into and have to fight against them.

The discovery of other worlds was what had enabled the resistance to flourish the way it had, for it was the technology and weapons that were brought through the Stargate that had enabled some of the most successful and effective resistance operations in the past. Therefore, the main focus of cell 4 was Stargate operations.

Resistance cell 4 was also the only cell that held a science division in order to examine the technology that was brought back through the Stargate. The science division was tasked with determining its function and its usefulness; and if possible the scientists would then use the newly acquired technology to build or reproduce weapons that could be used in the fight against the Aschen.

In addition to that, it was the only resistance cell that trained recruits. The relative isolation, that they were living in at Antarctica, had given them the freedom to build up a fully working training camp over the years without being discovered.

The Aschen harvesters and patrols never came this far down into the South, since the land here was considered to be uninhabitable by Aschen standards. Therefore they had been able to maintain regular gate-travel activities for over 30 years – with very few interruptions.

The procedure they used always had to follow strict rules that everybody had to abide by. Every week anew, the Aschen's gate schedule needed to be downloaded and adhered to without even the tiniest delay; that rule applied to outgoing as well as for incoming travel. They had four fixed 3 minute windows during a 24-hour day, during which travelers could return or leave through the gate. If a returning team missed their window, they would have to wait for the next one six hours later, no matter what trouble they had run into. This fact alone made every trip through the Stargate dangerous.

Even though they used metal probes that they sent through to planets to receive data and information about the location on the other side of the wormhole before they sent teams through to explore, there was always the possibility that the people living on the planet would prove to be hostile; or that they ran into a group of Jaffa warriors.

The more Sam learned, the more excited she got, and when the meeting was nearing its end, she was determined to get assigned to one of the teams that went through the gate at some point. Moving between the stars… She couldn't believe her dream would actually come true, and much earlier than she had expected it to.

At the end of the meeting, Jack referred all of them to the 'basic operations' tent, where an older soldier, whom everybody just called by his first name Walter, was working. He took care of all the administrative duties. From him, they would receive new camp uniforms that designated them as full members with all privileges, standard weapons and equipment, as well as additional information about gate travel security measures.

Everybody was excited to leave the room and get started. Sam was getting up eagerly and picked up her empty cup of coffee, when Jack O'Neill stepped towards her.

"Carter? Walk with me," he inquired and she followed him out of the tent up a small hill towards the science camp, which was located, slightly elevated, at the far end of the clearing.

"You didn't tell me you were a scientist," he started the conversation, and she shook her head.

"I am not, Sir. As you should know women aren't allowed to study, so everything I learned, I learned from homeschooling and studying by myself."

"Well, for someone who never attended a university, you sure know an awful lot about this stuff. Where did you grow up again?" he asked, and noted the way she tensed slightly for a brief second.

"Um… the West, Sir… near the Pacific Coast; in a small town."

"I see," he nodded. "And who did you say your parents were?"

"I didn't say anything, Sir." She stopped and turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Go ahead," he nodded.

"Why do I have the feeling you're testing me?" she asked, and he held her eyes. Then his lips twitched into a light smirk, before he turned and continued walking.

"Sir!" Sam exclaimed, and hurried to keep up with him.

"I was testing you, Carter. I just find it odd that a young woman with your background has that much knowledge about the Stargate technology. Most of the smaller villages and towns don't even offer access to a library. You're not a covert Aschen woman, are you?" he looked at her, still smirking slightly, and she shook her head with a smile.

"No, Sir, I'm not."

"Didn't think so," he replied. "They are usually a lot less…" He cut himself off. 'Attractive' was what he had wanted to say. That would have been highly unprofessional. What the hell was the matter with him? He cleared his throat awkwardly. "…feisty."

"Feisty, Sir?"

"Yeah… you know… courageous, tempered, outspoken… Aschen women are usually dull, like bureaucrats. And very un-emotional," he explained, and she smiled.

"It sounds like you have a lot of experience with Aschen women," she commented and his head shot around to look at her with an amused twinkle in his eyes. When she realized what her comment had sounded like she couldn't help blushing heavily. "I meant talking to them… doing business with them… Not…" She winced when she realized that she was talking herself deeper into trouble – much to his amusement apparently. Shut up, she ordered herself inwardly and cleared her throat.

"Not what, Carter?" he poked gently, nudging her with his shoulder. For some odd reason, he liked putting her off and poking a bit of fun at her. Not only did she become even more beautiful when she was blushing, she was also incredibly cute when she felt awkward.

"Well Sir, I didn't want you to think that I was implying anything sexual."

"Weren't you?"

Her eyes shot up to his and only now did she realize that he was making fun of her. She chuckled softly at her own stupidity. They remained silent for the next few meters and then Jack turned to look at the young woman again.

"So… no family ties, no home to return to; that means nothing to lose and outstandingly smart. Sounds like you're the perfect soldier, Carter."

"Maybe, Sir," she replied, his words making her think of her father for a moment.

During the past few months, she had occasionally wondered, how he had reacted when he found the letter that she had hurriedly written before leaving in the middle of the night. Had he been angry? Worried? Was he searching for her, or had he given up the search? What had he told her 'husband' as an excuse; had he told him the truth at all? Would she ever be able to return home to him, or would he never want to see her again? Sometimes, at night, when she lay awake, the thoughts that went through her mind were terrifying and saddening, and then all she wanted to do was to return home and beg her father's forgiveness.

It had only been roughly four months since she ran away, but she felt like her memories of her life back then were flashes from another lifetime when she had been a different person; a person that just didn't exist anymore.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sam looked up to find Jack looking at her slightly worried. "Um, yeah why?"

"You got kinda quiet there for a moment."

"No, Sir, I'm fine," she said, a soft smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes.

They had reached the scientist's camp, and Jack entered the biggest tent, holding the mosquito net, that was covering the entrance, open for her.

"Hey, McKay!" he then said cheerfully, while looking around. A rather grumpy looking young man lifted his head from some device he was busy working on, and looked at the intruders. He had brown hair which looked considerably disheveled like he hadn't used a comb for days. Sam had seen him around camp a few times, but he had always ignored her – except for that one time when she had run into him and he had started yelling at her, because he had almost stumbled into a bowl with lemon slices which had been meant for drinks.

"Well, what do you know?" the scientist replied with an obvious hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Did my reports finally get your attention?"

"Nice to see you too, Rodney," Jack replied, obviously entirely unaffected by the man's arrogant hostility. "Remember that you've been bugging me about getting you an assistant for months?"

"Remember?" McKay started and laughed sarcastically, while he picked up a stack of papers from his filing to hold them up. "See this? Not a day goes by where I don't send that request to you. I kept copies of all of them. And ever since Dr. Felger and Dr. Lee started working on their own projects, things have gotten a lot worse around here! There!" He pointed to a small monitor that was showing the results of some work. The flashing numbers meant nothing to Jack and so he just raised his eyebrows quizzically.

McKay rolled his eyes, before he explained, "I am never going to finish that work if you don't start putting more resources into our physics department."

"Um, yeah… McKay," Jack interrupted him slightly annoyed. "I'm granting you at least one wish. Carter? Meet McKay. I apologize for his horrible manners, but I want you to work with him for a couple of weeks. See that you brush up your knowledge on the Stargate technology; and who knows, maybe you can contribute something that we didn't know yet." Sam stepped forward and smiled at the slightly smaller man in front of her.

"Nice to meet you." She reached out her hand to shake his, but McKay just looked at her, then folded his arms and looked at Jack with an expression of absolute annoyance on his face.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?" he then asked the taller man, who shook his head.

"What in my expression makes you think I am joking? She's pretty smart from what I can tell."

"Yeah, well, that really doesn't say much. No offense." McKay rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Sam raised her eyebrows when she heard the unfriendly scientist's words, and looked at Jack, half-expecting him to lose his patience any minute. To her surprise, he looked completely unimpressed by the man's insult. He seemed to be used to the scientist's behavior, and simply shrugged, "I see… well, maybe that's why I've been ignoring your requests then for the past month – they are just too smart for me. As a matter of fact, from now on I should not even bother to read them anymore."

McKay sighed theatrically, and walked up to them to muster Sam with a look that made her feel uncomfortable. "She's a woman." He then remarked with apparent reproach in his voice. "She doesn't even have a degree in science – or any kind of degree for that matter! She probably didn't even visit more than six years of school! What on earth could she be helping me with? Am I supposed to teach the rookies now? Because seriously, my time is way too limited to…"

"You asked for an assistant, here she is. Knock yourselves out." Jack stated in a tone that made clear that he was getting bored with having to discuss the matter with McKay. Without another word, he turned around and left the tent. Sam looked after him, unsure of what to do.

McKay was just staring at the spot where O'Neill had just stood with visible disbelief standing on his face. Then he shook his head. "They expect you to bring the best possible results… they expect miracles… and who do they send? Ridiculous…"

"Hi," Sam smiled again, trying to introduce herself, but he just nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah… since you're here already, why don't you make yourself useful?" His voice was showing his displeasure with her presence, while he was walking back to his desk.

"Of course," Sam nodded, enthused to start working in the field that she felt most comfortable in. She couldn't wait to actually put some of the knowledge that she had gathered over the years by studying in her father's library to good use; especially in the light of all of the scientific devices that were scattered around the office. She would actually get to see some of the actual stuff – without having to revert to theoretical experiments. She smiled happily. "What do you need me to do?"

"Move some of those boxes out of the way… and get me some coffee, I am never going to get this done without coffee."

Sam mood dropped instantly. Coffee? He wanted her to make coffee and move boxes around? She sighed. Well, it wasn't quite the brain teaser that she had hoped for, but it was a start.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

Sam's motivation faded away quickly. After she had done nothing but make coffee and carry around food to the scientists for two days, she was tired of being used as a waitress without learning anything of interest – or even remotely connected to the Stargate.

So on her third day, she started taking things easier. She took her time with the coffee making, and instead explored the science camp whenever she found time. It wasn't like Rodney McKay trusted her with any important work; most of the time he didn't even realize that she was still there, so it didn't really hurt anybody if she explored the rest of the camp.

If nobody was willing to teach her anything of value, she would have to do what she had done her entire life: she would find the knowledge herself.

With a tray with cups filled with coffee in her hand, she walked from tent to tent. There were not nearly enough physicists to do all the work that needed to be done from what she could tell. And there were even fewer archeologists, if she judged correctly from all the unopened boxes in the storage tents.

Eventually she peeked into the archeology tent with curiosity and was surprised to find Daniel working in there. The entire tent was stacked with books. Some were lying on the ground; some were standing on boards and planks that were nailed together to form makeshift bookshelves, or on boxes. The large wooden table in the middle of the tent was filled with artifacts, papers and even more books.

It was a puzzle to Sam, how anybody could possibly know where to find anything in this chaos. But the archeologist seemed to be right at home.

"Hey," she greeted him cheerfully. "So this is where you're hiding out when you're not down at the food stand."

Daniel looked up and smiled at her. "Hey, Sam! Yes, this is where I work. What are you doing here?"

"Coffee?" she asked with a wry smile, holding the tray up and offering him a cup.

Daniel winced. "McKay is still using you as his personal waitress, huh?" At Sam's surprised look he smiled and shrugged. "People talk here, you'll get used to it. When Dr. Lee told me about the coffee girl, it could only be you. Janet is the doctor and Vala… well, let's just say nobody would trust her with their coffee." He turned around with the little piece of an artifact in his hand to get an open book from a nearby box, and compare the piece in his hand to something in the book.

Sam put one of the cups down on his desk and then sat down on one of the boxes that didn't have books on them. She was very careful not to touch anything. From what she saw, there seemed to be a distinct order in the chaos that only Daniel Jackson could see through.

"Yeah… he thinks, I'm too stupid to help him."

"Yeah…" Daniel said with an apologetic smile on his face. "You have to excuse him, you'll get used to him after a while. He's insufferable, but he's also pretty much a genius."

"I know." Sam put the tray down. "I just wish he would share some of his knowledge, but he doesn't even bother to answer my questions."

"Hey…" Daniel suddenly said and his face brightened up with an idea. "If you want you can help me instead. It's really not that great of a job, but all those boxes in the corner there..." He pointed at a corner of the tent. "…hold artifacts and pieces of technology that we brought back recently. They need to be classified, labeled and catalogued. There are tags over there and somewhere here …" He searched around between the papers on his desk. "Ah, there they are. Here are the pre-printed lists. Just fill them in, and then tag the artifact with the number in the row on the list so that we can find it again later on. Once you're done with a box, just write on the box which numbers are in there. I know it's not exactly complex science but…"

"…it's better than making coffee!" Sam smiled thankfully, taking the lists and the pen he was handing her. "Thanks Daniel!"

"No problem." He smiled at her and they both went to work. Sam was feeling that, for the first time in days, she was doing something actually useful.

**Next Update in 2-3 days :)**

_**A/N:** I know this chapter was filled with tons of (booring) background information, but I had to have Sam (and also the reader) learn all this at this point, so that I could build the rest of the story upon it._

**_Review-Response Time! =(^o^)=_**

_**mmkbrook:** I'm relieved, you didn't start to dislike Vala. I know a lot of people don't like the character on the show; or find her obnoxious. So I was a little worried that Vala talking Sam into their drinking adventure might cause readers to start to hate Vala for getting her in trouble. _

_I am trying to stay true to some of the most basic backstory-events that shaped the character on SG-1: Sam studied science when she was a child, her mother dying (just that she killed herself in this novel), etc. The same will go for Jack. But I will also portray some of his darker sides occasionally, because I don't want him to become the typical romance-prince-charming. And he's also going to behave like a jerk occasionally, but within a certain limit. (Let's face it, even on the show, he could be an ass sometimes. ;) )_

_**vcm, sammie77a, EvilTheLast, **and** Mikki88**: Thank you for the nice words! I am really glad that you still like it, and you've continued reading so far._

_**damnflamingos** and **Guest**: Sam won't find out that she and Jack are married in the last chapter. Actually it happens about maybe 50% into the novel. However, that will not be the end of the story. :)_

_**avonleashores**: This chapter answers your question about Sam's science side. :D The next chapter will have more of Sam's science, so I hope you won't be disappointed._

_**Yol**: Phew, I am relieved, that Jack didn't come over as overly cruel or harsh in his speech. He was supposed to sound like a leader, and I am glad that you perceived him as such. ;)_

_**Caskettshipr**: First of all, I love your nickname! :P I am a huge Castle fan myself. Secondly, I am glad you're enjoying this AU so much. I am aware that it is very different, and that the characters have potential to be different, but I try to keep them as close to the show as possible. _

_**dpdp**: I tried to build Vala's character as one that is already established in the community. As she told Sam in their little conversation, she has been with the resistance for almost 2 years, and it is the first time that she has had a home. _

_I always thought that the character of Vala on the show was one of the most intriguing ones there was. From what we learn about her, she is a deeply scarred woman (after all, she has been host to a Goa'uld, she was chased away from her home, and so on). She became the criminal and cheat that she was out of necessity. But inside of her is the capacity for sacrifice and deep loyalty once she has found people who respect her and give her a chance. _

_In this story, Vala is already accepted, and she has found close friends – and Sam is her newest friend. What Vala does is a misguided attempt at helping, and yes, she gets Sam into trouble. But it is also she, through whom Jack learns of the harassment. And she tries to convince him that Sam wasn't at fault. I hoped that showed the goodness that was lying in her heart. _

_I just love the Vala character, because she is complex. She does a lot of things that one might perceive as wrong – although she does them with a good intention. And then there's still that scoundrel side of her that shines through every now and then. Vala is neither good nor bad in the sense – and I love that about her. :P I hope that makes sense._

_**Catherine**: Wow, merci beaucoup! Je suis très heureuxe que tu aime l'histoire! ;) (My French is very rusty already, and by far not as good as my English. I can understand it when I read it most of the time, but write myself? No… T.T ) I hope you keep reading and that you will keep enjoying the story! :)_

_**Jackina**: Haha! Somebody addressing the drunken scene – good Lord. ;D I was working so hard on that scene, because I suck at writing drunk talk. And there were several versions that just got so ridiculously out of hand. I have to admit, the scene made me smile when I wrote it. It was supposed to add just a tiny little bit of comedy to the otherwise very grave story. There will be more comedy in the future, but the first 10 chapters seemed especially serious. _

_Besides, I always wanted to write drunken Sam. PLUS drunken Sam was an excellent possibility to address Sam's attraction to Jack in a more obvious way. So glad you liked it! :)_

_**louisa78**: Wow… Lousia78 your review made me so happy. I can't tell you why now without giving away too much, but I will go back to your comment in the review-response section of chapter 17. ^^;_

_**Smiffy11052**: Yes, I thought the version where Jack started holding Sam's hand (metaphically) sounded so preposterous. I re-read it about 3 weeks after finishing it, and Sam's character felt completely off. I read it and all I could think was "Wow, she is so weak". Therefore I had to change it – without making Jack sound overly cruel. _

_I am happy that you feel that I managed to do that._

_**ALIMOO1971**: The short answer: no. Sam doesn't hold any kind of degree, for – as I mentioned in the prologue already shortly – in their world, women are not allowed to attend universities. However, Jacob had her homeschooled and his library provided Sam with the means to teach herself all that she needed to know – as you have partly seen in this chapter, and will see in the next. _

_One of the reasons, why I let Sam struggle with the boot camp training was, because I wanted her to excel in science later on. She was good in the boot camp – but she wasn't outstanding. We can't have her be the best at everything. :P_

_**Guest** (Original Review – will copy here, since two people with the name Guest commented this time):_

very good chapter. I realy enjoy how you portray jack and sam.  
it is like a pre serie storie. with the begining of the attraction between them.  
I am totaly confident on your skills to make a very good story, with a real jack and sam.  
I just let myself enjoy the ride. thanks to you.

_Thank you for the vote of confidence! To be honest, I am floored by how many people love and enjoy this story. When I started writing it, I thought it was a rather stupid idea. With the forced marriage and everything, it felt more like a Johanna Lindsey novel to me. ;) So I tried to write battle scenes, training and everything else, and make it as non-fluffy as possible. _

_Because there will be the romance parts, and the smut, and all the relationship-related issues soon, and I didn't want readers who didn't like a story that was solely dealing with romantic stuff to get bored. :P_

**_Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and your gracious comments. I hope you will continue to like this story as much as I like writing it! See you in the next part!_**


	12. Chapter 11 - Taking Chances

_A/N: 1 million thanks to __**esmejasper **__who beta-ed this chapter to correct my mistakes! Any mistakes possibly in here now result from the fact that I couldn't help tweaking and expanding some passages here and there when I corrected the mistakes that she had marked. T.T I just can't help it…_

**Chapter 11 – Taking Chances**

"What do you think it does?"

"No idea… I wish I could read the inscriptions, but I've never seen this language before."

Daniel and Sam were both looking closely at the little piece of technology in front of them on the table, each one of them holding a magnifying glass in their hands.

Sam had spent the entire last week working with Daniel in the archeologist's tent. After she had finished classifying and cataloguing all of the boxes with the artifacts, she had helped him work on those that needed to be analyzed. She had found that surprisingly many of them were more than just simple jugs or shards. A lot of them were pieces of alien technology – or parts thereof – that needed to be analyzed and put together. Since the physicists had more than enough work as it was, Daniel was happy to have Sam as a technical assistant; who in turn was happy to be able to finally do something related to the field that she was good in.

The archeologist was thrilled to realize that she possessed advanced knowledge of human and Aschen technologies. On top of that, she was brilliant at figuring out the new technologies. It was a puzzle to him where her intuitive knowledge came from, but she was better at it than all of the other physicists at camp. And she definitely had a better attitude than most of them.

McKay had not asked for Sam once since she had started working with Daniel. She brought him his coffee every morning, and then left to work in the archeologist's tent. The grumpy scientist didn't even seem to notice her absence for the rest of the day.

"Well, there's certainly some kind of power circuit here…" Sam described out loud. "I think there's even a power source. There has to be, because these readings clearly indicate some kind of voltage. I just don't see what the source could be."

"Can you turn the device on?" Daniel inquired curiously.

"I think I might have found the switch, but I'm not sure it's wise to turn it on before we know what it does."

"Yes, but then again, we might never know unless we turn it on, since these inscriptions make no sense to me."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then bent over the little piece of technology again. Their expectations rose while Sam tried – using tiny tweezers – to reroute power to enable the power source of the artifact. They both knew it was dangerous to turn it on without any prior knowledge about what it did.

Then again, this hardly looked like a bomb. Sam's educated guess was that it was a remote of some kind. Therefore she was willing to take the risk, albeit carefully.

It wasn't surprising that they both were extremely tense. It was even less surprising that, due to this tension, their hearts nearly stopped when, suddenly, without a warning of any kind, the entrance canvas of the tent flew open, and Vala stormed in with a loud squealing sound.

"Holy Hannah…" Sam exclaimed, and dropped the tweezers. She looked at Vala in complete bewilderment, trying to recover from the momentary panic.

Daniel, whose feelings were bordering outrage, didn't even get the chance to voice his reproach. Vala was immediately looping her arms around his neck, looking at him from under her eyelashes.

"Daniel, did you miss me?"

"Vala…" Daniel protested, trying to loosen her arms from around his neck. "We're in the middle of work here! And I would appreciate it if you didn't scare us like that when we are working on something that could be an explosive device!"

"We?" Vala asked and only then realized that Sam was sitting at the desk, smiling at her. "SAMMIE!"

Sam winced when at the next moment Vala stormed to her and gave her a big hug as well. "I was missing my girls! This is so exciting! Now I can hang out here all the time and talk to both of you!"

"Oh, I don't think so." Daniel replied annoyed, and Sam just smiled slightly uncomfortably at the other woman's typical moderately-inappropriate joyfulness.

"Aww, Daniel…" Vala replied, and released Sam to walk over to the table where Daniel had picked up a book now. She turned around so that her back was leaning against the edge of the table, and her front was half-pressed against the archeologist and smiled at him seductively. "You don't want me around?" Then her facial expression changed and her fingers closed around a small, round silver ball that was lying in a box on the table. She picked it up. "What is this?"

Daniel sighed in exasperation and reached over to take it out of her hand, but she pulled it away with a teasing grin. "What is it?"

"Vala." Daniel said warningly.

"Come on, Daniel… can't a girl be curious… about a lot of things?" She asked, the way she was looking him up and down making clear the sexual intimation behind her words. Sam rolled her eyes with an amused smile and leaned over the little piece of technology on the desk again.

"Vala…" Daniel was getting more impatient, when he failed to take the artifact away from the black-haired woman for the second time. Finally he used his other hand to grab the young woman's wrist tightly and removed the little ball forcefully from her fingers with his other hand. "You are just curious about one thing regarding artifacts: how much they are worth on the black market." He put the ball back into its box and closed it, ignoring Vala's pout.

"My curiosity for you has nothing to do with that though," she then went on, and Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"No? I'm just the guy with all the valuable artifacts." His voice was filled with a trace of sarcasm, and he went back to his book from before.

Vala's pout became more intense. "Sam, help me here!"

Sam just smiled, shaking her head, while she carefully reconnected two circuits on the side of the artifact with tweezers.

"Anyway…" Vala continued to babble, while she slowly strolled around the table, touching an artifact here and there under Daniel's watchful eyes. "We just made contact with an incredible new species! They're called the Nox, and they can just vanish and reappear out of thin air! It was incredible! Unfortunately they were unwilling to share any technology with us…" She looked up with a somewhat indignant expression on her face. "They thought we were primitive."

"You didn't steal anything from them, did you?" Sam interjected with a hint of amusement and Vala looked at her with wide eyes and an expression of mock indignation.

"I am shocked by the accusation!"

"She probably didn't, but only because they had it all hidden," Daniel remarked with folded arms, still looking at the young woman over his glasses. Sam giggled.

"Sounds accurate."

"Okay, I admit," Vala finally acknowledged, "They did hide it all, but even if they hadn't…"

At that moment, a loud bell shrilled all around them. Sam jumped, and Vala and Daniel looked around considerably alarmed.

"What the hell is that?" Sam yelled to drown out the noise, holding her ears. The speaker was in the corner right next to her, so she was the one who heard it the loudest.

"Alarms! Something is wrong with our Stargate system!" Daniel yelled. "Come on!"

He signaled Sam to follow him and grabbed Vala's arm to pull her with him – mainly to prevent her from stealing something in the general chaos of the alarm. Hurriedly, they ran over to the main science tent where Rodney McKay was working.

"What's going on?" Daniel yelled at McKay and Dr. Lee, an older and sometimes rather clumsy scientist, once they stormed inside of the tent.

"I don't know!" Dr. Lee replied. "Our access to the gate system just shut down and we have a team due back in one hour."

"Excuse me…" McKay rushed by him, almost pushing him out of the way. "If you don't mind, some people are actually working here!"

"Rodney!" Daniel yelled over the alarm.

"I don't know yet… and it's certainly not going to go any faster if you keep asking!"

Sam, who had stepped in behind Daniel, looked at the flashing screen in the back – the only computer screen that she could see – and raised her eyebrows.

Just a moment later, Jack stormed into the tent, almost running into the young woman. Mildly annoyed, he grabbed her shoulders and gently moved her out of the way to be able to walk past the group into the tent.

"Report!" Jack yelled at McKay, and when the addressed scientist didn't answer, Dr. Lee started stammering.

"Sir… something happened with the gate. We were shut out…"

"Why?" Jack snapped. "Talk to me, Rodney!"

"I don't know, okay!" The scientist snapped back and looked up. "I don't know! And I certainly won't know as long as there are people dropping in here asking me that question every ten seconds!"

"Dammit, McKay!" Jack snapped, then turned around and looked at the small group near the door almost angrily. "Somebody turn that damn alarm off!"

Dr. Lee hurried to one of the computers and entered a command. Immediately, the deafening shrill stopped, and the silence that followed seemed almost uncanny.

"McKay!" Jack said again, impatience audible in his voice.

"Okay… okay okay… as far as I can see there has been some kind of short power outage that locked us out… the cause was…" The next moment he sighed in annoyance and looked up at O'Neill. "The generators. I've been telling you for months that they need to be replaced… but do you listen to my requests? No… we can get new soldiers, we can get new tables – we can even get fancy new uniforms, but generators…"

"Rodney!" Jack interrupted his speech. "Now is not the time! I have three people out there who are due back in an hour. Can you get us back online?"

"I'm working on it, but it's not that easy." McKay explained, without looking up from his monitor.

Jack slammed his hands on the table. "If we are not back online in an hour, these people are going to walk through the gate in Washington D.C. right into the hands of the Aschen security guards – who are going to start asking questions about how three humans managed to get off-world!"

"You don't have to explain to me what's going to happen, and this is certainly not going to go faster if you do!" Rodney shook his head and mumbled, more to himself than the rest. "They don't think they have to take you seriously, but once they need you, everything is supposed to work and be repaired within the snap of a finger."

Jack straightened out and inhaled deeply, pacing back and forth, obviously trying to calm down. He knew that yelling at the scientist didn't improve the situation, and Rodney McKay was certainly not known for giving less than his best – although sometimes a little bit of pressure caused him to achieve things that he had deemed to be impossible before. Finally Jack turned around. "How long?"

"I don't know yet! The power only went out for about two seconds, but it was enough to log us out of the system, interrupt the protocol and log us back on without the protocol. The system identified us as unauthorized intruders and locked us out permanently. I will have to rewrite the entire protocol and that will take a while!"

"How long?" Jack repeated his question with a dark stare.

"Well… a few hours at least…"

"That's a few hours too long!"

"Excuse me…" Sam interrupted them now almost shyly from her spot near the door. She pushed her way through between Daniel and Vala to be able to see the monitors. "Are you talking about the Aschen computer system?"

"Where have you been?" McKay asked confused, looking up at her now when he heard the familiar voice of his personal coffee-supplier. "I was looking for you earlier – my coffee has been empty for hours."

"I… um…" Sam started, with a side-glance at O'Neill, not sure how he would react to her disobeying his orders and working with Dr. Jackson instead of Dr. McKay.

"I asked her to help me classifying some artifacts," Daniel interjected, immediately realizing Sam's dilemma. "I needed help studying the Bazou technology SG-4 brought back a few weeks ago, and I figured Sam would be more useful doing that than carrying around coffee all day."

Obviously satisfied with the explanation, Jack turned his head back to McKay and looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

The scientist raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Well what?"

"She asked you a question."

McKay sighed annoyed, and then replied in a tone as if he was talking to a child or teenager, "Yes, this is about the Aschen computer system."

Sam moved around the table to stand next to Jack in order to see what was going on. She knew quite a bit about the Aschen computer system, therefore she thought that she might be of some help – at least if their problem was gaining access to the system without being shut out. "I assume you were using a double-encryption standard gateway to get into the system, creating a fake ID that made the system recognize you as an Aschen official?"

McKay looked from her to Jack, as if unsure of whether he should reply to the question, while at the same time slightly put off by her apparent knowledge of the technology. Jack just raised his eyebrows, and waved his hand to signal him to answer her.

"Yes," McKay eventually replied. "I programmed the protocol myself."

"I'm sure it was good work," Sam opened diplomatically. "But it's risky and problematic. Just the slightest fluctuation will shut you out. It will never work if you need to be permanently connected."

McKay folded his arms and leaned back in his chair with a sarcastic chuckle. "I see… and I assume you have found a better way?" His voice was dripping with irony, and his attitude showed that he had absolutely no confidence in her abilities as a hacker – or as anything but a waitress for that matter.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Sam replied and her confident statement dumbfounded him completely. , Realizing that McKay would not listen to her anyway, the young woman turned to O'Neill now. "Sir, I developed an algorithm that works in tune with their security system and allows me to log onto their system whenever I want to and as long as I want to. The algorithm duplicates IDs of users that are already logged on, and that enables me to freely move around the system, as long as the original user remains logged on. It is restricted to certain areas within the system that the original user is using. However, I have access to every area, because the protocol automatically clones other logged on IDs in the background. By that method, you can gain easy access to all systems which are permanently used – among them the Stargate control unit."

"Carter…" Jack replied, pressing his fingers against his temples. He had little patience for techno-babble of that sort. For him, explanations had to be short, simple and to the point; and certainly not filled with complex scientific terminology or unnecessarily long words.

Realizing, that he had only followed a very small percentage of what she had said, Sam thought for a moment. Then she remembered the metaphor that she had once used to describe the procedure to her housekeeper Minny.

"It's like a shadow, Sir. Imagine it was possible for me to completely turn into your shadow and follow you around. You wouldn't get suspicious, would you? Now imagine this camp was filled with people. By jumping from shadow to shadow, I could gain access to every part of it without being seen. It's a lot more complicated than that of course, but that is basically how it works."

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at McKay. "Does that make any sense to you?"

The man nodded and then rolled his eyes slightly annoyed. "Yes, but it's not possible. You think it didn't occur to me before? I've tried to crack the Aschen algorithm needed for the procedure to work, and it would take an entire team of scientists and a few years to even remotely come close to having success. Forgive my criticism, blondie, but people who were a lot smarter than you have worked on that and failed."

Sam narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Well, that is how I've been accessing the system for months," she replied, the snippiness in her voice betraying her annoyance.

McKay laughed sarcastically. "That's impossible."

"I've used it countless times before and it worked." Sam was angry now; angry that the misogynistic, arrogant little scientist dared to talk to her like she was somebody inferior. She lifted herself up, her face showing a fierce determination now, and turned to Jack. "I can do it, Sir!"

Jack looked from her to McKay, and then back to her, his eyebrows raised. "McKay, is this… this…"

"Algorithm, Sir?" Sam offered, and Jack looked at her.

"Is what she says possible?"

"Possible? Yes. Likely? No. If you ask me, it's highly unlikely," he replied. Sam shot him an angry glance and turned back to Jack to look at him pleadingly.

"Sir, you said time is of the essence here. Please, let me do it."

He was still a little unsure. On the one hand, Rodney McKay was the smartest scientist that they had in the entire resistance. On the other hand, Sam Carter's complete confidence put him off. He had never seen her like this before. She had always been somewhat insecure about her abilities – or rather stayed in the background without advertising them. The urgency and determination that she was looking at him with now provided a stark contrast to her usual rather shy reluctance to come forward about her abilities. Jack inhaled. "Carter, you say you've done it before?"

"Countless times, Sir." Sam nodded, her voice firm and secure.

"You are absolutely certain that it will work and that you can do it?" he inquired further. He was taking a risk here. If she messed up, and compromised their position, everything that they had worked for in the past thirty years would go down the drain in the matter of minutes. On the other hand, one of his best teams was out there. If they didn't manage to disconnect the Washington gate and bring their own gate back online in time, the soldiers would unknowingly walk through the wrong gate when they dialed home.

"Yes, it will work, Sir." When she saw that he still had doubts and was leaning towards agreeing with McKay, Sam looked at him more urgently. "With all due respect, Sir. I know what's at stake! I would not say that I can do it, if I wasn't one hundred percent sure."

"One-hundred percent?" Jack repeated, but had to quietly admit that she was right. If anything, she was always prone to underestimate her own abilities. He had never seen her over-estimate herself.

Sam winced. "Well, Sir, ninety-nine percent." If she had learned one thing about science and computer systems then it was that there were no hundred percent certainties.

"So you were in the Stargate control unit before?" Jack inquired further, his admiration for the young woman growing by the second. After all, she had mentioned that she had been 'snooping around the Aschen's computer system' before. And he believed her, because it was the only explanation for her vast knowledge of everything connected to the Stargate. He became more and more inclined to take a chance on her.

"Well, Sir, not exactly in the Stargate control unit. I was in the system, but the SGCU is just a subsystem connected to the mainframe. There were countless other subsystems I accessed. I would need to make a few adjustments, but I have always had to do so with every login. The procedures vary slightly for every subsystem." It was visible from the clueless expression on his face, that he didn't follow what she was saying, so she stopped explaining, and instead affirmed once more. "Shouldn't be a problem to gain access to the SGCU, Sir."

"How long?"

"Well, Sir… recreating the algorithm, getting in, applying it, caching the access files on the computer…"

"Carter!" he reminded her rather gruffly, stopping her before she could give him a detailed summary of all the steps that she needed to complete.

Sam winced slightly. She really had to get used to giving him the short summaries. "Five minutes, Sir."

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise at this estimation and McKay chuckled in his chair, shaking his head with folded arms, and muttered, "Oh, please…"in the most ironic tone he was capable off.

"McKay, you say it's possible?" Jack repeated, matter-of-factly, his eyes still firmly locked with Carter's.

"Yes, but…"

"Get up!"

Rodney looked surprised at this order, and when Jack looked at him with an expression that betrayed that he was about to lose his patience, the scientist got up from his chair. "You can't be serious!"

"Carter… sit down and start!" Jack ordered gruffly without looking at McKay anymore.

The scientist shook his head, everything in hos body language conveying clearly that he thought the decision of letting the 'rookie' handle this problem was one of the dumbest ever made in his presence. "If she messes this up or even makes the tiniest mistake, they will be able to trace our position, and you know what that means! Colonel, think reasonably, I am by far the smartest person on this planet, and even I didn't manage to do it."

"McKay…" Jack interrupted his arrogant speech, his dark stare shutting the scientist up immediately. "Apparently, she managed to solve the Stargate riddle all by herself; a task that took a team of the brightest scientists that we had several decades. So forgive me if I am willing to give her a chance at this. Now shut up and let her work!"

It was known to everybody at camp that Rodney McKay certainly didn't lack confidence in his own abilities. Everybody was aware of that and in the light of his genius they usually dealt with his lack of humility by cutting him some slack and ignoring his self-serving comments. Therefore Jack O'Neill's strong words completely baffled the scientist, and he was so put off that for once he did what he was ordered to do. He shut up.

Sam sat down on the chair and inhaled deeply.

No pressure, she told herself inwardly, you've done this countless times before, this is no different. Except that lives depended on it now. She winced inwardly. If she messed up, she would be responsible for the capture and excecution of three men. Or, even worse, she would reveal their position to the Aschen and thereby compromise their entire cell.

When she had accessed the Aschen computer system at home, nobody had been in danger of getting killed if she messed up. There had been no stakes involved. Her palms became sweaty and she rested them on her legs for a moment, inhaling shakily as she studied the control panel on the screen.

"Hey…" She turned her head, confused for a moment, when she found Jack O'Neill's head right next to hers. "Just focus on the task at hand. There's a problem. Solve it. Don't think about the rest."

She nodded quietly, and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It amazed her sometimes that this man, who often came over as gruff or insensitive, seemed to have an innate understanding of other people's emotions and feelings. His words calmed her down and made her regain focus.

He was right. There was a problem that she was good at solving.

This was her element. She knew the algorithms and access links by heart, because over the past three years, she had used them countless times. Computer codes and equations were to her like water was to a fish, and as soon as she was immersed in them, her mind just floated around in between them effortlessly and she completely understood how everything worked.

Sam returned her focus to the computer screen. Calmly, she opened the system's main frame and started entering the first command codes. Then she wrote the ten line algorithm that she knew by heart into the system cache.

Daniel and Vala had joined McKay, Dr. Lee and Jack now, looking with interest and growing awe at the computer screen. Daniel's eyes grew wider and wider as he saw windows flash up, Sam entering commands, and the same windows close again at what seemed to be lightspeed to him. It was a puzzle to him how she could even remotely know which window she was typing in.

But her face remained calm and concentrated, her entire body language showing that she knew exactly what she was doing. After a little more than four minutes, she relaxed slightly in the chair and looked up.

"I'm in."

"She's in." McKay repeated, complete disbelief mixing with a certain professional admiration in his voice, while he leaned his hands on the desk next to her to stare on the screen. "I can't believe it."

"Can you bring up the Aschen travel schedule?" Jack asked. He was impressed, but didn't let his body language show it yet – not before he was entirely sure that her hack had been successful.

"Yes Sir," Sam replied, typing a few commands into the designated field and bringing up the desired schedule. "There you go, all the scheduled gate activity for next week in live mode."

"Live mode? This is incredible!" McKay uttered again in complete fascination. "Colonel, that means from now on we won't have to buy the access codes anymore. We can just basically… access the schedules whenever we need."

"Not just the schedules," Sam offered, and opened a few of the other system windows. "I can get you access to all information, from medical data up to the transcripts of the Aschen proceedings."

"Is this access permanent?" Jack inquired, and Sam nodded.

"Yes, Sir, but in case there's a problem with the generators again, I suggest you let me write a program that will automatically reconnect the system if we get disconnected. In the long run, that is probably a lot easier than to hack in again every time we get logged out. We might be able to implement the Stargate shutdown protocol as well, so that every 6 hours the Aschen Stargate would go into covert auto-shutdown for 3 minutes. That will take some time though. I can't write a program like that in 5 minutes," she interjected thoughtfully. "It might make things a lot easier though, if you always had to do all these things manually."

"Great," Jack nodded. "Do it. I want you to work with Dr. McKay on the program, so that we can get it up and running as soon as possible. For today, those three men out there owe their lives to you. Carter, that was a damn good job."

She looked down slightly embarrassed. He nudged her gently and said in a lower voice, "Seems you know more than just a little physics."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Alright, people! Back to work! Carter, McKay… I expect daily reports on the progress of the program, and McKay…" Jack said, making sure the scientist was looking at him, before he continued. "…from now on you'll make your coffee yourself."

The scientist looked clearly awkward when he slowly began to realize that the woman he had used as a waitress for the past two weeks was obviously a genius who was at least an equal, if not better than he was – as much as he hated to admit it. But even more embarrassing was the fact that the camp commander had apparently been well aware of his behavior – a fact that shouldn't have surprised him, given the fact that everybody had been talking about his using Sam as a waitress. "I assure you, Colonel, if I had known…"

"Just… get the program ready and working." Jack replied, walking towards the exit. Before he left, he looked back at the young woman. It was hard for him to hide his admiration. She possessed an impressive amount of knowledge in the sciences. As a woman, she had never been allowed to attend a university or advanced school. That meant that she had taught all of this to herself. That fact in itself was impressive. Never before had he met a woman – or even another man – like her.

She was positively glowing now, as she started to explain her algorithm to Dr. McKay. All of her shyness and her insecurity seemed to disappear when she immersed herself in the sciences.

Suddenly, she looked up and her eyes met with his. For a long moment, she just held his gaze, and then she smiled softly which prompted his stomach to do the most amazing little lurch. He liked her, he realized at that very moment. He liked her a lot more than he should.

Jack swallowed. She had to have the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen on a woman. And her eyes: bright blue with a sparkle in them that he had never seen in anybody else before. He had seen (and been with) many women in his wilder times right after his wife had left, but none had ever been as ravishing as she was.

It only took a second for him to realize what direction his thoughts were taking and he turned around quickly to leave. What was the matter with him? He really shouldn't be thinking about a subordinate that way. It was a dangerous road to go down, and he preferred to not take it, especially considering the fact that he was – at least officially – a married man.

Daniel, who had been quiet until now, walked towards Sam with his hands in his pockets. "Well, seems like I've just lost my assistant," he remarked with audible regret but also a certain amount of pride in his voice.

"Sorry," Sam smiled. "It was fun working with you though, and I will be happy to work on the artifacts again with you, once I am done with the program. Besides, it looks like you already have a new volunteer for an assistant," she remarked with a smile and a side-glance at Vala, who smiled flirtatiously at him. Daniel rolled his eyes before he became serious again.

"You did a great job," he told her. "I'm sure you'll be SG-2's hero from now on."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," McKay interrupted them annoyed now. "We all get it, she saved their lives; can we get back to actually working now?"

"You know, Rodney," Daniel remarked on his way out. "A little bit of humility really wouldn't do you any harm, and it might even make people like you more."

Rodney McKay watched him leave with a confused expression in his eyes, before he turned to Sam. "What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

_**Next update will follow soon! I hope you enjoyed Sam's breakthrough "From zero to hero" chapter! So cliché, I know. *bumps head on table***_

_I have another question, related to a couple of you mentioning either in a review or private message that they wanted to buy the story if I ever sold it in print. That got me an idea. Would you guys be interested in a little giveaway? _

_I couldn't possibly sell the book for copyright reasons (probably would get me in trouble with MGM) – and no publishing house would agree to take it and buy the rights from MGM if it has been published in its entirety on the internet before. BUT using a print on demand service, I was thinking about printing maybe 3 copies and creating a little giveaway. That way some of you would get the story in print without me getting in trouble for it (since I wouldn't make money from it)… maybe it's a stupid idea. Just let me know what you think. It's still a bit of time until this story will be fully posted, after all, so… we're not even one quarter through so far._

_**Aaand Review-Response Time!**_

_**mmkbrook**__: Thanks _

_**vcm**__: Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo… wish granted. Jerky McKay for you in this chapter. ;) An don't worry, he will keep making occasional reappearances. _

_**dpdp**__: Hope you are not disappointed. Sam didn't just show McKay but everyone in this chapter. ;)_

_**avonleashores**__: OF COURSE McKay hast to be in this! ;) He is my favorite character from SGA too, and although I am 100% a S/J shipper, I really liked his interactions with Carter on both shows. They are two geniuses, and I seriously believe that through their competitive nature, they have to potential to drive each other to new levels of skill. Let's face it, McKay is the Sheldon Cooper of Stargate: incredibly smart (I'm not saying he's smarter than Sam!), obnoxious and rather awkward (if not unskilled) in social situations. And VERY arrogant. Who couldn't love him?  
And he never had a chance with Sam, so I really don't see, why S/J shippers would hate him so much. _

_**Aj, **__**ALIMOO1971**__**, **__**Pm, Catherine**__, and __**NION**__: Thank you so much for your reviews and continuing support! I am happy you guys are still following this. And Catherine, I hope you don't learn my mistakes in the progress. ._

_**EvilTheLast**__ and __**Yol**__: Earth's covert Stargate progam + Sam's involvement now does indeed increase their chances of making progress. And Yol, indeed, it is still a little bit until they find out. Gotta thicken the plot first to make it nice and complicated._

_**esmejasper**__: Still gonna keep replying to your reviews! :D Yes, Sam showed McKay in this chapter. I wanted to write her as somebody whose talent lies with science. She was a decent soldier in training, but not outstanding. In science, however, she can shine – it's a little different from the Sam on the show, who was first and foremost a soldier. But hat fun is AU if everything is the same. ;)_

_**louisa78**__**:**__ Thank you… wow! I hope I can keep that standard. I have some serious romance taking over the story soon, so… ;)_

_**Guest**__: Thank you! I try to give you as many details as possible without restricting the reader's imagination too much by overdoing it. I actually had a detailed sketch of the resistance camp and all, but I decided not to use that. I am sure every single one of you has their own idea of what it looks like by now. Maybe I'll publish it on my website in the end as an extra…_

_**jackandsamforever**__: Wow thanks! I am happy you liked the start and I hope you will keep reading! I will read you Blacklist fanfiction next! I read on tumblr earlier that you wrote one for the dance scene in Madeline Pratt, and I absolutely cannot wait to read that in bed later on! :D I am not as crazy about the Red /Lizzy ship as I am about Sam/Jack yet (meaning that I feel inspired enough to write about them), but I LOVE that show. _

_And there will be a reference to Raymond Reddington in a later chapter of this story. Ya know, since he's played by James Spader – who was the original Daniel Jackson on the Stargate movie. I thought it would be a nice homage. Nothing shippy though… or maybe… I'll see. ;)_

_**Wiggiesmom**__: Well, the members of the resistance (or rather different cells of it) don't have much contact to each other, because it is too dangerous. So Jack and Jacob don't meet that often. But don't worry, I will get into that in the story soon. :)_

_**nephertiri**__: I am trying to keep the updates at this pace, because I know how it is if you get into a story and don't know how it will go on. I might have to slow down every once in a while, since I am still inserting chapters here and there – which need to be revised, revised and revised again. But rest assured, there will be an update at least once a week. _

_I hated the way McKay was introduced in Stargate SG-1. It was no wonder many started hating him. I started watching Stargate Atlantis before I ever even watched an episode of SG-1, so I got to know McKay in Atlantis first. And after I was finished with that show, I started watching SG-1. I have never hated McKay. As a matter of fact, he's my favorite character on Atlantis, because he's hilarious. And I wanted him to have a somewhat decent entrance that doesn't reduce him to a total pig. He's arrogant, yes… but it was his hitting on Sam on SG SG-1 that was really creepy. I didn't want him to be creepy. _

_And as for the flirtatious banter. Yeah… the next chapter will get a lot less subtle, but you'll see. I still hope I didn't overstep any boundaries with that. Long speech short: I am happy to read that you like it so much._

_**Maria Holmen**__: Wow… your review is actually very humbling to me. I think nobody has ever said something that beautiful._

_I especially appreciate it, because yesterday I became completely discouraged in my writing skills after reading the story of an outstanding writer and realizing that I will quite likely never be able to use language in the manner she does. I am trying to become a professional author and have the dream to someday be able to earn my living with writing fiction. _

_So reading what you wrote today really made me sit down again and work on my story. Thank you so much! (But please don't bow down to me… not even in writing… it makes me feel awkward and I blush! ;) )_

_I hope I didn't forget anybody! I love all of your reviews and I want to hug you all for them, so thank you very much!_


	13. Chapter 12 - Seduce Me

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Some kind of nutjob thought that it would be a good idea to hack my website and send out spam (30000 spam mails to be precise), so I had to spend my freetime fixing the damaged code and sweet-talking my provider into unblocking my domain and webspace. That unfortunately prevented me from being able to revise or continue writing – hence the hold-up. :(_

_Also a little warning: I am bad at ratings. I still consider this chapter to be PG-13; however, there is a mild (or not so mild?) erotic scene with over the top UST, so be warned._

_A HUGE thanks to __**esmejasper**__ at this point. She has outdone herself, and her corrections smoothed out the edges of this chapter!_

**Chapter 12 – Seduce Me**

_**Even if we try to fight it  
We know that the sparks will fly  
Cause in the end we're just two people,  
Destined to collide  
**__Leona Lewis – "Stone Hearts"_

"Oh, come on, Sammie!" Vala begged, kneeling in front of her on the ground of their tent. "Please! Pleeease-please-please! It will be so much fun!"

"I don't know, I really don't think I'll enjoy…" Sam started, and put her book down in almost tired exasperation.

"As much as I hate to say it, Sam," Janet interrupted her from across the tent where she was squinting into a ridiculously tiny mirror while trying to apply her make-up. "Vala is right! You deserve this! If anybody in this camp deserves a little downtime it's you!"

"Yeah!" Vala replied enthusiastically, "Last week you saved the lives of all of SG-2, and then on Monday you finished working on that program with McKay! And today you got assigned to one of the soldier teams! And not any team, O'Neill's team! Do you know what that means?"

"Nobody has ever gotten their first assignment on SG-1." Janet's voice was a lot calmer than Vala's, but it still conveyed a certain sense of excitement. "I hear Daniel didn't even have to say anything, O'Neill chose you immediately when the question came up which additional scientist should be joining his team."

Sam rolled her eyes, and lowered her eyes back down to her book. "He only chose me, because neither Dr. Felger nor Dr. Lee are cut out for the field, and he didn't want to have to deal with Rodney McKay's arrogance. However, Dr. McKay would be a lot more qualified to…"

"Oh please…" Janet laughed softly and looked up at her. "Don't kid yourself! You kicked McKay's ass with that little hack last week – and he knows it. And so does O'Neill. And THAT is why you got the position on his team."

Sam sighed and leaned her head back. "It just doesn't feel right. McKay has been here so much longer than I have and frankly, he knows a lot more than I do in many fields! He has a university degree and a PHD!"

"And still it was you who solved the Aschen computer problem," Janet remarked. "It seems to me that, what McKay lacks in modesty, you lack in self-efficacy!"

Sam sighed and closed her eyes. Rodney McKay had not been happy that morning when, during their briefing, Jack O'Neill had announced the composition of the new teams. Sam hadn't even expected to be on one of the teams, but assumed that she would keep working in the science department permanently.

She had started to get along with all of the scientists quite well - even with Rodney McKay who, if one ignored his constant sarcasm, hostile attitude and ever-present arrogance, could actually be quite a nice person at times. Then again he was also the only person in the camp who regularly drove her up the wall with his rather sexist comments.

So when Jack O'Neill had sat on the table in front of almost the entire camp, and suddenly announced, "Sam Carter will be assigned to my team, SG-1, as the permanent science addition" she had almost fainted – partly because of the enthusiasm that came with the realization that her dream of going through the Stargate would actually come true now.

The other part, which had grown more and more significant the longer she thought about it, was in major doubt about whether she would be up to the task. Yes, she had wanted to go through the Stargate – but not as the person responsible for science questions on missions. She felt like she had barely scratched the surface of all the knowledge that the resistance had gathered over the years, and even though she now had unrestrained access to all of McKay's (and other scientist's) research about the Stargate system, her knowledge was ridiculously limited in comparison to what the other scientists had to offer. Even though she knew she was a quick study, she still couldn't help thinking that McKay would have been the better choice.

Additionally, she had seen the expression of disappointment and disbelief on McKay's face. It just didn't seem fair to her that she would get chosen over his head. Granted, McKay had been assigned to SG-2, but it wasn't SG-1.

"Sam," Janet started now, "Jack O'Neill has been in command for quite some time now, and he has never been wrong in his personnel choices. It's why people respect him so much. So don't worry about it anymore. Our main goal is to bring the Aschen government down, and if he trusts you to be able to work better towards that aim on his team than McKay, then that is most likely the case. SG-1 is the team that mostly deals with science, that's why there are two scientists on it: Daniel, who is the leading archeologist, and you. It makes perfect sense to me that you would get chosen – from what Daniel has told me, you even have a talent for alien technology that you have never seen before. Now get your sweet behind off that bed, and let's find something for you to wear tonight!"

"YES!" Vala exclaimed enthusiastically. She had already laid out a few clothes from her wardrobe for Sam, who basically owned no clothing except her camp uniform and the clothes she had stolen from her brother when she had run away.

Janet eyed the clothes critically. "Just because we're resistance fighters doesn't mean we shouldn't have fun every now and then. On the contrary, it is quite important to keep morel up. For that reason, as the camp's chief medical officer, I order you to have fun tonight."

"This is fun for me!" Sam contradicted, holding up the book about advanced experimental physics that she was reading. "I have so much reading to do – especially since I am supposed to work on SG-1. I need to brush up on all the reports and the alien technology."

"We'll have none of that tonight!" Janet decided. "You have not been out of this camp since your training started – aside from that one little detour you took with Vala. We only get to go to town just for fun once in a blue moon, so there will be no books, no work-related issues and most importantly no grumpy attitudes tonight, understood?"

"Why go to town, anyway? If I remember correctly, there's not that much to do." Sam sighed in reluctant surrender.

Vala grinned. "There's a bar called O'Malley's. Every once in a while we go there just to party, play darts, drink our heads off for an entire night and have some harmless fun! You really shouldn't miss it."

Sam sighed and placed the book next to her on her pillow to look at the clothes Vala had set out for her. "Oh, no… no way am I going to wear any of that. What is this even?" She held up a tiny top, that certainly would reveal more than it would hide. "What kind of party are we talking about exactly?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Vala gave her one of her big grins and Janet chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, it's not going to be anything sexual – although Vala's wardrobe certainly suggests otherwise." The doctor raised an eyebrow as she picked up one of the very revealing tops that Vala had thrown at her. "But it is also known to happen that people hook up and – let's say, disappear for an hour or two. Some more often than others…" she remarked with a side glance at Vala.

"Oh God…" Sam shook her head, letting the top sink. "You know what, that's really not… I don't have a lot of experience with men and… I really shouldn't come." Images of the drunken men in the dirty back streets who had made passes on her back when she was still searching for the resistance flooded Sam's mind, and she shuddered. She really wasn't in the mood for unwanted sexual advances from drunken teammates.

"Come on, Sam," Janet said. "Nobody will force you to hook up with someone; it's just going to be harmless fun! It's really just having a good time with friends and colleagues. Whatever happens, happens. But I guarantee you, nothing will happen against your will. As you know, O'Neill is very strict about the harassment policy and that goes for party evenings as well."

Janet eyed the laid-out tops skeptically and then one after the other handed them back to Vala, commenting "Nope" every time she did so. When there was no piece left, she looked at the young woman.

"You have an entire chest filled with clothes but you don't have something more fitting for Sam? Something that doesn't say 'I wanna get laid now'?" she asked, and Sam winced. That was really the last impression she wanted to give anybody. Vala crawled over to her little trunk, and after a moment pulled out a tight black sweatshirt.

"How's this?"

"Better." Janet announced, holding it in front of Sam. "Black is her color."

Sam held the shirt when Janet let go of it to catch whatever piece of clothing Vala was throwing at them now. She looked doubtfully at the shirt, while Janet eyed the tight leather pants that Vala had just tossed her.

"Go for something that doesn't say 'dominatrix', Vala!" With those words Janet threw the leather pants back at the young woman. Vala just shrugged.

"How about this?" She held up another pair of black pants, that didn't really look much different to the ones from before.

"Don't you have anything else?"

"It's my style!" Vala exclaimed defensively, "I like going 'dominatrix'!"

"Alright, never mind!" Janet replied. "You know what? We'll go shopping with Sam once we're in town. We can leave a little early, and we'll have enough time to shop, and get dressed in town."

"Wait, I don't have any money," Sam protested and Janet shook her head.

"You won't need any. The townspeople are supporters of the resistance, even though they're not actively engaged in our operations. They supply us with all the food and clothes that we need. I'm sure we'll find you something nice at one of the local tailor's shops. You don't have any clothes at all, and you should at least have one set of personal clothing." Janet calmed her down. "We can even get you a haircut."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Sam asked, a little self-conscious, and Janet chuckled.

"Nothing, it has just grown a little long, and the cuts at the sides seem a bit uneven," she replied and Sam looked in the mirror.

Janet was right, her hair had grown considerably since she had cut it herself and come here to this camp, and she had also not paid attention to details when she had cut it. A professional haircut certainly wouldn't hurt.

"When we're done we can join the guys in the bar," Janet explained while Vala was packing her clothes back into the trunk.

"That's a great idea," the black haired woman commented with a grin, "And by then Daniel will hopefully be so drunk, that he'll be easy to handle!" She shut the trunk in which she stored her clothes, and sat down on it with a self-satisfied smile.

"Doesn't that disturb you?" Sam asked looking at Janet.

"What, that she has the hots for my ex-boyfriend?" Janet asked and laughed, "Oh no. Daniel and I are really good friends. He is like a brother to me, and I am not interested in him sexually anymore. Frankly, I think he likes Vala, he's just too proud to admit it. When the two met, she beat him up and took him prisoner – he still can't get over that, I think. You know, men and their pride. Ever since then, the two have fought like cats and dogs."

"Why would you beat him up?" Sam asked with a soft laugh and Vala shrugged.

"I thought he was a thief and wanted to steal my ship to sell it!" she explained, as if this fact alone provided enough of an explanation.

Sam had learned that Vala, while human, didn't originate from Earth. Apparently, a group of their cell had met her a couple of years back, and after some initial run-ins in which she had tried to scam them, they had eventually sat down and negotiated. And finally Vala had decided to join their cause. And she had proven to be incredibly valuable in the past due to her numerous off-world contacts with the black market.

"Alright, girls! I'll go tell O'Neill that we'll leave early to go shopping; you two get ready! And Sam? No more discussion, you're coming with!" Janet announced decisively and then left the tent.

Later that afternoon, Sam had to admit, that it had been a good idea of the women to coax her out of camp. After what had happened with Tim Hanson, she had completely fixated her mind on her training. And after her initiation, she had been so happy to work in the sciences that she hadn't even considered making use of her privilege to leave camp as she pleased.

Sam was as cheerful as she could remember being in a long time. They had done extensive shopping, and then all gotten a haircut and make-up for the evening. Now they were walking – Vala in the middle, with her arm hooked into Janet's on her left side, and Sam's on her right side – along the small, uneven pavement of the town street.

Sam hadn't predicted the town to be this big. She hadn't been able to see much of it the last time she and Vala had been here. It was nothing against Washington D.C. of course, but it was big enough to hold several clothes stores and some nice places for them to linger and window-shop.

Since the area lacked sufficient grounds for farming, the town's business mostly consisted in the production of clothing and household goods. And apparently the businesses were booming, judging from how many tailor's shops there were.

Undoubtedly, this was one of the wealthier towns on Earth, and their flourishing businesses provided an excellent cover for their engagement with the resistance. The townspeople they saw were all well-dressed and very friendly; most of them even treated Sam as family, although they had never seen her before. The fact that she was part of the resistance made her a part of their community, Janet explained.

Sam had gotten her hair cut into a layered chin-length bob that the young female hairdresser had flicked out at the sides to make it look fashionable and feminine. It was unusual for women on Earth to have such short hair, but Alice, the hairdresser, had been impressed with it. She had even insisted on taking a photo of Sam, so she could include the hairstyle in her repertoire as a new trend.

It had felt odd to Sam to pay such attention to her appearance. Even though she had cared for her outer appearance when she had still lived at her father's house, she had never been excessive about it. And ever since she had joined the resistance, it had become less and less important to her. During bootcamp, she had learned that she had to manage her time carefully. Especially personal hygiene was not to be exaggerated. Every member at camp was only allowed to use the shower for 3 minutes. With only one shower available, and thirty-something people who wanted to use it, even those 3 minutes seemed too much time sometimes.

Perfumes or scented shower soaps were forbidden for people who had a mission through the Stargate scheduled. There was always the chance that they would have to hide from potential enemies, and that was hard to do if somebody's perfume or aftershave could be smelled a mile away.

Up to now, Sam had been allowed to use a vanilla-scented shower soap and a fruit shampoo that Janet always ordered for them from town. It was the only luxury that she allowed herself to have. However, she would have to switch to standard camp shower soap and shampoo (both of which were unscented) from now on when she was scheduled to go through the gate.

Working and living at camp didn't allow for extensive beauty care. Therefore, their little beauty excursion to town had made Sam feel really strange – albeit somewhat giddy.

After the hairdresser's shop, they had visited one of the tailor's shops and chosen a nice outfit for Sam. She was wearing a loose black skirt that was covering her legs until just over her knees, and underlined the elegant curve of her hips and her long legs. It was complemented by a pair of black heels that gave her outfit a wild twist.

She had opted to wear the shirt that they had picked from Vala's chest at camp, and it fit the rest of her outfit perfectly.

Vala had already gotten dressed in their tent. She was wearing black leather pants and a tight leather top, along with heels that were so high that it was a puzzle to both Sam and Janet how she had managed to make the long walk down to town on them.

Janet, who hadn't been keen on walking all the way down into town in heels, had opted to take her clothing with her and changed in the tailor's shop where they had gotten Sam's skirt. She was wearing a simple, but elegant outfit compiled of black jeans and a tight shirt that revealed a bit of her cleavage.

"I gotta say," Janet announced, "Alice has outdone herself with Sam's hair, and the touches of color she added to underline her natural color are just perfect. She's looking so sexy that all the boys will be all over her." Janet looked over at Sam.

"Really?" Sam raised her eyebrows. "I always thought my short hairstyle looked rather boyish. As a matter of fact, that was kind of the intention behind it."

"Oh, believe me sweetie, there's nothing boyish about it anymore, especially not in combination with that make-up and those heels!" Janet chuckled and Vala looked at Sam with a warning in her eyes.

"Just keep your hands off of my Daniel!"

"Oh God…" Sam laughed and shook her head. "I assure you, I don't intend to touch anybody – least of all Daniel!"

"Oh come on!" Janet chuckled, "There's not even one guy at camp that you find at least a little bit tempting? You don't have to worry about – you know – pregnancy, if that's what you're concerned about." Sam's head shot around in surprise and Janet's eyes twinkled at her mischievously. "The shots prevent that. So you can just relax and have fun."

"Yes!" Vala nodded, "You humans don't even know how lucky you are that the Aschen medicine got rid of all the sexually transmitted diseases! I could tell you stories…"

A loud protest arose from the other two women and Janet shook her head under laughter, "Spare us, Vala, please! I don't need to hear it again and Sam doesn't need the image at all!"

"My point being…" Vala went on with a smirk, looking at Sam, "You don't have to worry about anything! You can just have harmless fun. A few hours of wild passion – or romantic love-making – whatever is your thing. Come on, tell me, which one of our boys tempts you?"

Sam shook her head smiling, blushing slightly. "I really haven't thought about it…" It was not unusual to have the kind of short arrangements that Janet and Vala were suggesting. After most of the population had become infertile, and the Aschen medicines had virtually erased all of the sexually transmitted diseases, there had been no need for humanity to keep up its repressing sexual morals and restrictions. At least not for non-gifted people. Since Janet's treatment was successful, Sam did have the freedom to enjoy life as a non-gifted person – at least for now.

"I am pretty sure that you could find a companion for tonight. You're a good-looking woman…" Janet remarked conspiratorially, before she added, "Actually, I happen to know that Rodney McKay is really into you."

"Oh really! McKay? Well now." Vala grinned, and Sam burst out laughing.

"You two are crazy. McKay thinks I'm a dumb blonde!"

"He has a thing for dumb blondes." Vala remarked, and when Sam cocked her head with an annoyed look, she hurried to add, "That doesn't mean that you're dumb. It just means you fit his dating profile where appearance is concerned. And in McKay's world everybody is dumber than he is, so…"

"Oh stop, you are imagining things!" Sam protested, shaking her head.

"Well," Janet chuckled. "Actually, I know for sure, because McKay told John Sheppard, Sheppard told Daniel, and Daniel told me."

"Oh no…" Sam sighed, closing her eyes. "McKay, really?" She shook her head, looking really uncomfortable suddenly.

"News and gossip travel fast on camp." Janet's voice betrayed her amusement at Sam's obvious embarrassment about the situation.

Vala nudged her softly. "Come on, I can understand your reaction about McKay, but most of the other guys are pretty handsome! I wouldn't say no to them."

"They're not my type." Sam was serious now. "I am really not looking to hook up with somebody. So please, promise me you won't do anything stupid tonight – like try to set me up!"

"Handsome is not your type?" Vala added with a chuckle. "Come on Sam, we're not talking about marrying for life, just a night of harmless fun – you know, sometimes getting rid of the sexual tension inside of you improves performance in the working environment."

"There is no sexual tension between me and anybody – least of all McKay!" Sam's voice reflected her annoyance.

"Who then?" Vala kept poking. "Sheppard?"

"Oh God!" Sam protested, looking at her in disbelief.

"I bet…" Janet interrupted them suddenly with a soft, conspiratorial smile, "Sam is more into mature guys. Men like Jack O'Neill?"

Vala's head shot around and she looked at Sam with a smile.

The young woman couldn't help looking uncomfortable for a moment. She hated to admit it, but she did still find Jack O'Neill fascinating. Although she hadn't worked with him yet since her duty on SG-1 would start during the next few days, she couldn't ignore the fact that he was handsome. His occasionally playfully flirtatious way of talking to her added to her fascination. However, she had decided not to read too much into it. Men like Jack O'Neill didn't usually go for women like her anyway, so why bother. They went for the female kind: the kind that stayed at home to cook them meals, and support their work; certainly not the kind that went out to fight like a man.

She herself was too much of a thinker, too rational to delve into the unrealistic idea that he might find her fascinating in the same way that he fascinated her.

However, if she had had to pick one of the men in the camp, it would definitely have been Jack O'Neill. Granted, he was a good deal older than she was, judging from his graying hair, but that didn't bother her much. Aside from his looks, he was smart, he was a capable leader and she trusted him – at least to a degree.

What attracted her most about him was his character - or rather what she knew of his character up to now. He was fair, albeit relentless, and had a sense of humor. Even though it was extraordinary for a woman to become a soldier, or be a scientist, he had never doubted her or treated her with anything less than the utmost respect. And that made her respect him.

However, he would also be her team leader from now on, and that meant she would be working a lot closer with him on an almost daily basis. Therefore any romantic notions that she might have for the man were off the table anyway.

"No, for heaven's sake, will you two stop now!" Sam growled now, angry at herself for allowing herself to briefly entertain those fantasies. She shook her head. "You are impossible."

"Did you see that?"

"I did!" Janet replied triumphantly.

"See what?" Sam asked defiantly.

"You tuned out there for a moment, and you were blushing. Oh my God, so O'Neill?" Vala replied, raising one eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, who can blame her?" Janet replied. "He's handsome, educated, he's older and he has been married before. Besides, I've heard that he used to hook up with women left, right and center when he was younger, so I'm sure he has lots of experience in bed…"

"Yes, but still… he's too mature for my taste. Hey, you know what? We should set them up for the night!" Vala suggested enthusiastically, and Janet chuckled.

"Really, Vala? You want to get in trouble with our camp commander by messing in his personal affairs?"

"Well…" The young woman winced slightly. "We could do it subtly, so he won't know."

"Okay, stop, this is embarrassing!" Sam exclaimed, slightly worried that her friends might indeed do something stupid. "I am not into Jack O'Neill! He's my superior officer." The last thing that she needed was some kind of interference in her relationship with O'Neill. Not now that she had managed to make it into one of the SG teams as a respected member of the cell. Therefore she decided to change the subject, and hoped that her friends would forget about their stupid ideas. "How far away is this bar anyway, I feel like I've walked miles already."

"Just around the corner now." Janet smiled. "Good thing we came in our training boots. Vala, you're going to have one hell of a walk back home later in your heels."

"Who said I was going home?" Vala asked with a grin, and winked. "I planned on spending the night in one of the rooms upstairs with company."

When they entered the bar, the main room was already crowded with people despite its impressive size. Most of the guests were soldiers from their camp, and it was clear that a lot of them had drunk more than one beer already.

"Females on deck!" One of the younger drunken soldiers yelled when he saw the three women enter, and immediately heads turned, and the cheering and whistling started. "Hey there, Janet!"

"That is ma'am to you, Ensign!" Janet looked at the young man with mock reproach as she yelled her reply to him over the whistling.

"Whatever works for you, ma'am!" he flirted back and Janet shook her head laughing.

"This is so embarrassing," Sam whispered to Vala.

"Why?" Vala smiled at her. "Just enjoy the attention. I'm sure, most of the cheers are directed at you anyway, so you might as well relax and make the most of it."

"That's really not helping." Sam sighed and looked around, searching for any familiar face she wanted to spend time with. Originally she had intended to sit with McKay and the other scientists, but since she had heard about McKay's apparent liking for her that didn't really seem to be an attractive option anymore.

Before she had even realized it, Janet had disappeared to talk to the younger ensign who had flirted with her, and Vala had patted her arm, and informed her that she was going to look for Daniel. That left her standing alone and very uncomfortable near the entrance door. Her reluctance to step further into the crowded bar room was written all over her face.

Oh, what had she been thinking? She really shouldn't have agreed to come here.

"Hey, Carter! Come on over, I'll get you a beer!" One of the soldiers near the bar yelled at her. Sam smiled back at him in a friendly way, but shook her head with a nervous smile. She stepped aside slightly startled, when two guys, who were just about to leave the bar to smoke a cigarette, bumped into her. Trying to become slimmer so that she could stand somewhere without bumping into drunken men at every corner, she wrapped her arms around her body.

She really shouldn't have come. This just seemed to be a nightmare: guys leering at her, flirting with her and trying to talk to her. It really wasn't the kind of entertainment that she enjoyed. She knew that Vala and Janet were right; nobody would frown upon it if she just flirted with one of the soldiers, spent the night with him and then went their separate ways in the morning.

Sam admired Janet and Vala for how light-heartedly they handled the situation – even more, they appeared to enjoy it and look forward to it – but she couldn't help feeling tense and very uncomfortable.

"Hey, Carter."

Sam felt somebody touch her shoulder gently, and was about to move away in the direction of the door, when she recognized Jack O'Neill. He was looking at her in a friendly way. "You look like you're a little overwhelmed, and need rescuing."

She smiled him. "Yes. Well, actually, Sir, I was just thinking about leaving."

"Ah, come on, Carter, I'm sitting back there in a corner with Sheppard and Daniel. Join us?" When he saw her hesitation, he leaned in to her to inform her with a soft, intimate edge to his voice, "I promise to scare away anybody who dares to flirt with you."

She couldn't help but laugh and their eyes met in an almost playful glance before she eventually agreed, "Okay."

He took her hand gently in his, and she was mildly shocked by the sudden intimate gesture; but even more so by the electrifying thrill that went through her body as a reaction to it. She followed him and allowed him to gently pull her through the crowd of soldiers, until they had reached the small table where John Sheppard and Daniel Jackson were sitting and talking.

"Hey, Sam!" Daniel greeted her cheerfully and waved towards her outfit. "Wow, you look amazing…"

"Yeah, you do!" John Sheppard remarked, toasting towards her with his glass. "Brilliant and stunningly beautiful – that's a rare combination." The handsome soldier's smile was flirtatious.

Sam sat down, the embarrassment visible on her face.

"Hey," Sheppard addressed her, "I didn't even get a chance yet to thank you personally. You pulled my team out last week when the generators went down. I heard that, without you, we would have stepped right into Aschen security in Washington. Great job!"

Sam smiled at him, still feeling overwhelmed by the fact that she had so suddenly become everybody's hero. For the first few months, she had hardly known anybody at camp, just the people with whom she had trained. But ever since she had hacked the Aschen computer, everybody seemed to know who she was, and considered her to be some kind of hero – a notion that made her more and more uncomfortable by the day. She looked around the bar awkwardly.

"Hey," Daniel leaned in, so that she could understand him over the noise of the bar. "Did you come with Vala?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Actually she's around here somewhere looking for you."

She had to smile when she saw Daniel wince, and John Sheppard started to laugh and hit his shoulder.

"I told you she would make a pass at you – you, and probably a lot of other guys. So if I were you, I'd take the chance before somebody else gets there first."

"Hey…" Jack interrupted him. "There's a lady at our table now, so watch the talk. We wouldn't want to scare Carter away."

"It takes a lot more to scare me away, Sir." Sam replied with a smile, sounding feistier than she felt inside, and he chuckled and leaned in to her ear so that only she could hear his next words.

"Didn't look that way before when you were standing at the door." She blushed, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by him, and Jack smiled, before he whispered conspiratorially, "Don't worry, I won't tell if you don't." She had to laugh softly at his comment, and he was pleased to see that she was lightening up slowly. "Let me get you a beer. Beer okay? You want something to eat too?"

"No, Sir, just beer is fine." Sam smiled, thankful that she didn't have to fight her way through to the bar to get a drink.

"So, Carter!" John Sheppard started, when she turned her attention back to the group. "Welcome to the field! SG-1, huh? Pretty nice! I was actually fighting with O'Neill over you. I wanted you in SG-2, but he wouldn't give you up. Instead I'm stuck with McKay - again." Sheppard winced in remorse, before he took a sip of his beer and Sam smiled.

"Rodney is not so bad. And to be honest, he knows a lot more about the Stargate than I do, so you're probably better off than SG-1."

"Hey!" Daniel protested, his speech slurring slightly and betraying that he had had more than enough to drink to get him tipsy. "Do I need to be concerned? Don't forget, I'm on SG-1 as well!"

Sam laughed. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to try not to get us killed!"

"Very comforting," Daniel commented dryly and looked at her in amusement.

"In any case…" Sheppard murmured and leaned forward with a flirtatious smile. "You are my number one! The woman who saved my life – so if you're looking for company tonight…" He lifted his glass towards her, his dark eyes looking at her intensely, flirtatiously and even though Sam smiled back, she couldn't help but feel more than slightly uncomfortable in the light of the more than direct offer.

John Sheppard was, undoubtedly, an attractive man, but she had really never had any sexual feelings for him. She thought frantically about how to turn his offer down without insulting him, but before she could do so, a voice interrupted them.

"Sheppard," Jack remarked warningly, as he sat back down on his chair, putting a bottle of beer in front of Carter and another one in front of himself. "Hands off of Carter, before I have to shoot you."

Sam chuckled softly when she saw John Sheppard's facial expression turn from playful to disappointed. The colonel shrugged and then grinned at Jack. "Sorry, I didn't know you were making claims. That's just a shame…"

"No claim. Carter and I have a deal." Jack replied, smiling at the young woman next to him before he moved the bottle of beer to his mouth and took a sip, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Ah." Sheppard nodded. "A deal. I see. Is that what they call it nowadays? Well, I hope I'll get myself a deal sometime tonight, too. Where's the nice little doctor you're friends with?"

"I think you lost her to one of the younger ensigns near the entrance," Sam remarked with a smile, becoming more and more comfortable talking to the men.

Sheppard shook his head in mock disappointment. "Man, this is really not my day…"

As the evening progressed, Sam actually started to enjoy herself. Even though everybody in the bar was in a flirtatious mood, they were also very respectful, and never crossed the line to any unwanted touching. It was clear that, even though a lot of them made passes at her, they also respected her as one of their team members and therefore accepted the fact that she rejected them.

The reality that they were all fighting for the same cause was still lingering in everyone's consciousness – despite all the beer and alcohol. So eventually, Sam even got courageous enough to fight her way through to the bar and get a new round of drinks.

At some point, Vala had joined their little group. She hadn't even bothered to get her own chair, but just sat in Daniel's lap. The archeologist was drunk to a point where he really didn't even seem to mind anymore. On the contrary, he was very responsive to Vala's flirtations, and Sam was sure that everybody would be mocking him about that the next day – considering the fact that he kept insisting that he was not the least bit interested in Vala.

"Look at those two lovebirds," Sheppard remarked with a headshake. "Normally they are like cats and dogs. All you need to do is get them drunk and they are all over each other like teenagers…"

Sam laughed softly, feeling rather lightheaded herself by now from the beer that she had had already. In a way she enjoyed the feeling, because she realized that it made her a lot more relaxed and the general small-talk was a lot easier without her constantly over-analyzing brain interfering. She had even responded to some of the flirtatious comments with playful retorts of her own. "I don't even think Vala needs to be drunk."

"True," Sheppard agreed, and shook his head. "Good grief, get a room, you two!"

Sam took another sip of her beer. "I don't think they're listening to you."

"Apparently not," Sheppart nodded, and moaned loudly in protest when Vala now rearranged her position to fully straddle Daniel's hips while they were hotly making out. "Oh please… I can't watch that. I'm going to go get a stronger drink – and see if one of the town ladies over there would be interested in a – um – deal."

Sam watched him leave and shook her head with a chuckle. Jack smiled at her, and pointed towards the couple.

"We should probably put an end to that, huh? Before they get thrown out for improper behavior…" He broke off for a moment before he added, "Then again that might bring them back to their senses. I think it started to rain outside, so it might just work as a much needed cold shower."

Sam started laughing openly at this comment, and Jack smiled at her. Both became quiet for a moment, until Jack eventually cleared his throat.

"So… Sam," he started, deliberately making use of her first name. She leaned in slightly at this intimate address, her eyes playfully resting on his face while she took in his features. „You have a boyfriend?"

He half expected her to shy out of or evade his question, but to his surprise, she leaned forward even more, and held his gaze.

"No boyfriend, Sir."

"Sam… we're not on duty, no need for ranks." He offered gently, leaning in just a little bit as well when he noticed her reaction.

It would have been a lie for him to pretend that he did not find her incredibly alluring tonight. Usually, at camp, when he found his mind returning to the beautiful young soldier under his command, he knew better than to entertain those thoughts for long. Tonight was different, however. He was drunk. On top of that, she was looking absolutely amazing. She was astoundingly beautiful on a normal day, but at that very moment she was a walking sin. And she seemed to be so responsive to his flirtations that he just couldn't resist the temptation.

"Jack," she corrected herself softly, and he loved the way his name sounded on her lips.

"So, no boyfriend, huh? Not even back home?"

"I used to have one," she replied, her eyes losing his for a moment as she looked down at her hands when she was painfully reminded of Jonas; of his betrayal and the way he had used her. "But it's over."

"I see… you broke up with him before you joined the resistance?"

"He broke it up." She replied, and he didn't miss her sad undertone.

"Idiot." He remarked softly and her eyes shot up to his. Jack hurried to clarify, "Come on, you're smart, you're beautiful - any man breaking up with you must be an idiot." Wow, that had actually come out more infatuated than intended, he realized. But she didn't seem to mind, so he didn't take it back. "What happened?" he asked instead.

"He learned that I was gifted," she said, her fingertips playing on the top edge of her glass. "He was an Aschen man. I was stupid enough to believe that he actually meant it when he said that he loved me. So I learned the hard way."

He didn't say a word. It wasn't uncommon for human females to fall in love with Aschen men, therefore he was familiar with what she was telling him. It always ended like this, because the Aschen were not interested in a serious relationship. They merely regarded human women as an interesting pastime; a welcome distraction from Aschen women, who were restrained, controlled and dull. Unfortunately, it was always young women who fell for those men, because they were naïve enough to believe them.

Sam took a large sip of her beer, her face serious for a moment, before it lit up. "I know it sounds strange, but in a way, I'm grateful. Without the experience I would have probably never even realized what the Aschen think of us humans."

"And what do they think of us?" Jack inquired gently, seriously interested now that he had realized that there was an expression of deep pain in her eyes. His question was more than professional curiosity.

Everything about her body language addressed his protective instincts, and he knew automatically that she had been deeply hurt. That thought caused an outburst of momentary anger inside of him and his fingers grabbed the glass a little tighter. He knew he really shouldn't be this affected by a subordinate's feelings, but he couldn't help it. And, thanks to the alcohol, he really was past caring.

"When I told him that I was gifted, he responded that, in his eyes, I was nothing more than a slave." Sam replied. Jack wanted to say something, but before he could come up with something intelligent, she went on, "It's fine, I'm over it. He was an idiot, you were absolutely right about that."

He chuckled, and when Sam lifted her head to look at him confused by his reaction, he added. "Sam, if I have learned one thing about you, it is that you're certainly nobody's slave." Shrugging his shoulders, he continued, "In fact, I think by joining our resistance you increased our slim chances of succeeding quite a bit. And it sounds like, in a weird twisted way, I have that Aschen guy to thank for having you here."

She smiled at this comment, and then became silent while she contemplated his statement. Actually, Jonas' rejection had only been one factor in her decision to run away from home. Jack also had to thank her father for being here. Sam doubted that she would have decided to run away if he hadn't married her behind her back. Maybe, she would have stayed if they had tried to come up with a solution for her being gifted together.

After a moment, she looked back up and her eyes searched his again, a playful smile playing around her mouth. "So what about you?"

"What about me?" he asked.

"Any girlfriends?"

"GirlfriendS – plural?" he noted amused, and she cocked her head with a chuckle. "Not exactly, no," he replied and the surprise at this answer was clearly written all over her face.

"Are you telling me a man with your looks doesn't even have one girlfriend?" If she had been sober, she would have probably been outraged at this more than direct flirtation that she was engaging in with her camp commander. But the alcohol effectively dampened the alarms that were going off in her head.

He smirked softly, and then leaned in until his mouth was so close to the skin of her cheek that he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. Her scent was intoxicating, feminine, fruity and so alluring. All of his senses reacted to her presence. And he had been with enough women to tell that he was having a similar effect on her. With a certain sense of satisfaction, he noticed how she caught her breath slightly, and her body shuddered in the softest way in response to his sudden closeness.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you are flirting with me, Carter," he rasped against her ear.

She turned her head slightly so that her cheek was softly brushing against his. It was only the hint of a touch, but feeling his rough skin touching hers sent a thrill through her body and she could barely suppress a little shiver when her body and mind reacted to the sensual sensation. She heard him catch his breath slightly. With her lips close to his ear, she breathed, "Funny, I was just about to tell you the same thing."

He leaned back slightly to look into her eyes, and held them in an intense gaze. He felt like he was drowning in their clear blue color. She had to have the most beautiful eyes that he had ever seen.

"Busted," he admitted in a low voice, and his eyes fell on her lips and lingered there.

Sam held her breath, her mind torn between anticipation and nervous fear. For a moment, just the tiniest fraction of a second, it looked like he was about to close the mere inches that were separating them and kiss her. That realization made her heart skip a beat.

Everything in her screamed for the touch, longed for him to kiss her, hold her, use her body in any way he wanted, simply because she craved his closeness and was fascinated by the feelings it invoked in her.

A loud warning voice inside of her head pulled her out of the spell and she wondered whether she was out of her mind openly engaging in flirtations and unambiguously sexual offers with the man with whom she would have to work on a day to day basis from now on.

He did not close the distance to kiss her, but simply lingered, waiting for her to take the last (or rather first) step. She didn't.

Instead, she withdrew a little, and leaned back in her chair. What on earth was she doing? What was the matter with her? She shot a short glance at Daniel and Vala, who were still kissing on their chair, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Nobody was paying any attention to them. She mused for a moment whether anybody would even notice if she decided to start making out with Jack O'Neill right here.

Up to now her experiences with men had been very limited, and not exactly of the kind that she wanted to remember. But seeing how much Vala and Daniel were apparently enjoying themselves, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if she just started doing the same with Jack. If the feelings that his mere closeness invoked in her were any indication, it had to feel absolutely mindblowing.

She took another sip of her drink – even if it was only to cover up her sudden nervousness and distract her mind from the way too pleasurable track that it had been taking.

Jack had sensed the change in her behavior and her reluctance fascinated him even more.

Sam Carter was definitely different from all of the women that he had met in his life. He had observed the struggle in her for the short moment that they had been so close. He knew that other women would not have had the slightest problem with bridging the last distance and just starting making out with him. Jack was sure that Vala would have – so would Janet probably, if he had ever flirted that openly with either of them.

The truth was, it usually wasn't his style to hook up with a woman under his command during these bar nights. But Sam Carter seriously made him reconsider his stance on the subject. She was dangerous – in a shy, almost innocent kind of way.

"So," Sam finally said, smiling. "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

Jack kept looking at her in that sensual way, his lips tugging into a little smirk now, as he lifted the beer bottle to his mouth, not leaving her out of his eyes.

"Maybe I am not good at seducing women," he replied back, mocking her former hesitation slightly with his statement, while he kept teasing her with his smile and his eyes. She responded with an ironic little smile of her own and shook her head.

"You don't expect me to believe that, do you?" He raised his eyebrows quizzically at her response, and she leaned in again. "After all, you were the one overconfidently claiming at our first meeting that you don't need drugs to make a woman want you."

Jack chuckled when he was reminded of their first meeting, and lifted himself from his chair to go get another beer. When he was standing behind her, he bent down to hover his lips close to her ear, and Sam froze for a moment at this unexpected move.

"Obviously, that doesn't go for all women," he rasped sensually, and then pushed himself to his full height and walked away from the table and her, over to the bar. Sam's head snapped around at this words and she followed him with her eyes. Everything inside of her wanted to follow him, and ask him what he had meant by that. Had he actually been trying to seduce her?

She couldn't deny that she was eagerly waiting for him to come back to continue their playful banter. All the more disappointed was she, when he was being held up by Mitchell and four other soldiers, who were starting to engage him in small talk.

Sam sighed, slightly disappointed. On second thought, it was probably better this way. What had she been thinking anyway? This could not possibly end in a good way. Did she expect to have sex with Jack O'Neill for one night and act like nothing happened tomorrow; especially considering the fact that she had never had sex before and felt quite attracted to the man? Or worse: realize that she wanted more than just a one-time fun session?

After all she hadn't joined the resistance just to hook up with some guy. She wanted to be independent, and stand on her own, and she was finally getting there with her dream of going through the Stargate coming true. Was she really going to risk all of that just for the short-lived experience of having a cheap one-night stand with her base commander in a shady bar that could – and quite possibly would – ruin everything?

Sam took a large sip of a beer, realizing, that she had actually not thought that far ahead at all. Her body had merely reacted. She hadn't even thought about sex. There was just something about him that drew her in, something that made her want to be close to him. Something that made her want to touch him, and feel more of his body against hers. Sam moaned audibly, drowning the sound in another gulp of beer. This was bad. Really bad.

"Hey!" A female voice next to her ear suddenly startled her. Sam recognized Janet immediately.

"Hey," she replied with a soft smile, and Janet went to her knees next to her, leaning in so they could talk privately without anybody else hearing them.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

Sam looked at her, confused at this question. "What do you mean, what am I doing?"

Janet motioned towards Jack gently with her head. Sam followed the way she was motioning and then looked at her friend with wide eyes. "What about him?"

"Oh come on," Janet replied with a soft smile. "I've been watching you two for the past five minutes. He's totally into you."

Yeah, she had got that, Sam thought, and rolled her eyes.

"And you're totally into him."

"I'll admit… he's…" Sam started and Janet looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish the sentence. "…intoxicating."

Janet started to giggle and shook her head then, "Why are you still sitting here then?"

"Because I really shouldn't even remotely be considering it!"

"Sam, he clearly just put the ball in your court! It was so obvious he was flirting with you, before he got up. All you have to do is follow him. Give him one little sign that you're interested. One little signal is all it takes… and he's yours."

"Janet…" Sam interrupted her in a soft protest, and looked at her. "I can't. It would be wrong."

"No…" Janet replied, her eyes now lying on a spot next to Sam, as though she was only now realizing that Vala and Daniel were heavily making out on the chair against the wall. Actually, the term 'making out' didn't even quite cover it anymore. "THAT is wrong!" She shook her head. "They could at least be discreet about it. HEY!" she yelled over, in a slightly raised voice. Sam started to laugh and tried to shush her by hitting her arm gently.

"Shhh…"

"The hell I will, what are they teenagers? VALA!" Janet said loudly and pointedly now, and the young woman turned her head around seemingly confused. Janet looked at her and shook her head. "Get a room, for heaven's sake."

Vala grinned, rolled her eyes in a look of mock annoyance, and got up, pulling Daniel up with her. The man followed her willingly, as she dragged him out of the room into a small corridor in the back.

"I can't believe you did that!" Sam laughed and shook her head in disbelief.

"She'll get over it. Here," Janet said, and put a glass in front of Sam. "Drink up, and then get your sexy behind over there to Jack O'Neill and take him to a room upstairs."

"Janet!" Sam almost squealed in protest. "I will not do that!"

"Fine, it's your choice… but I'm telling you, you are way too tense. You need to get your mind out of those books, and just enjoy life a little. Have a little bit of fun! Nobody would think any less of you if you did. Your choice." Janet smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm gonna leave with Eric, so you'll either have to wait for Vala later on, or walk back to camp with some of the guys or by yourself. You know the way, right?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded smiling. "I'll just walk with some of the other guys. You go. Have fun! Enjoy yourself!"

Janet smiled and pushed the glass closer to her. "Take your own advice." With these words she left. Sam looked after her smiling, and then her eyes fell on Jack O'Neill. He was still standing with some of the guys, obviously listening to an anecdote Mitchell was telling them now.

She found him more attractive than all of the other men that she had ever met, Sam realized. And definitely more charming.

When had this even started? Since when was she so attracted to the base commander? Sure, she had realized that he was good-looking, but mostly, she had focused on her training – and during that training he had become her superior officer in her mind.

Admittedly, when Vala and Janet had brought up the subject about which man in the camp she would prefer to go out with, it was him who had immediately come to her mind. But it wasn't that she had given it any serious thought before tonight; before he had started flirting with her and shooting those intense looks at her that made her realize just how attractive he was. Then again, there was the slim possibility that it was only the effect the alcohol was having on her.

Suddenly, while she was looking at him in her silent reverie, he turned his head, and his eyes met hers. The corners of his mouth twitched into a gentle smile, and his face showed curiosity about her obvious interest.

Sam turned away quickly, slightly embarrassed that he had caught her staring, and took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. Janet was wrong, he was not waiting for a sign from her. Was he? He had to know her well enough by now to know that she would never be so bold.

Bold…

Was he testing her courage, she wondered for a moment? Was he trying to see how far she was willing to go, or was he simply teasing her? Damn, she had to stop overthinking this; Janet had a point where that was concerned. Sam looked at the drink in front of her, and then picked it up in frustration and downed the contents all at once.

Because all the beer wouldn't provide her with enough of a hangover already, she thought grimly.

Just enjoy… The words resounded in her head, and she sighed as she realized that the only thing she really wanted to enjoy was Jack O'Neill's closeness. Just a little bit of it. It didn't have to be sex… just his body pressing against hers, and maybe some kissing.

She got up determinedly, her hand flying to grab on to her chair when the room started to spin in front of her eyes for a moment. Oh, yes, she had definitely had way too much to drink; the spinning room was a telltale sign.

As soon as the dizziness faded, Sam slowly walked over to the small group of soldiers, her hand gently touching Jack's back as she passed by him. It was just the hint of a touch, her fingers grazing his back, as she felt the heat of his body radiate through his shirt.

She felt like the touch was intensified thousand-fold compared to how touches normally felt; almost like a small electrical current was passing over from her body to his. It was electrifying. Then, when she had passed him by, she leaned up to his ear from his other side, her fingers gently touching his shoulder. His hand moved to her waist, steadying her and holding her slightly against him, as he turned his head towards her completely captivated by her sensual touch, his eyes looking at her, intense and curious.

He was into her, Janet had been right. Sam realized it now from the way his body responded to her touch, his pupils dilated, and his breathing increased slightly. And she couldn't help responding in kind when she became aware of the way he was looking at her, his eyes filled with a passion that said that he was ready to push her up against the nearest wall.

She foggily remembered the last thing he had said to her before he had left, how he could apparently not get all women, and she played on that without forethought, when she smiled softly at him now. There was no thinking involved; the words left her lips almost automatically.

"You're wrong," she whispered playfully, so that only he could hear it.

"Oh?" he asked, confused for a moment and she held his eyes.

"About not being able to get all women…" she finished, allowing the words to sink in before she let go of him to turn around and walk towards the back of the room, where a small hallway led to a staircase and the private rooms upstairs.

Jack O'Neill stared after her, not believing what he had just heard. He had meant to tease her, play with her; never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she would go for it – for him. He knew he was not unattractive, but she was considerably younger, not to mention a great deal smarter than he was. Not for a fraction of a second had he seriously considered the possibility that she might be interested in more than a harmless flirt – not that he was complaining. He knew it was wrong and he shouldn't even consider taking her up on her offer, but at that moment, he was past caring.

He looked at Mitchell and the other guys, and with a friendly "Excuse me" and a smile, he left the little group and went to the bar to put his bottle of beer down.

Sam was halfway through the room when she wondered what the hell she was doing. This was madness. Once she was in one of the rooms, there would be no turning back. He would probably expect her to sleep with him.

Suddenly, her own courage and boldness terrified her to the core, and she felt a mild nausea in her stomach. She did a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and walked towards the exit door of the bar.

When her fingers finally closed around the metal doorhandle, she opened the door and stepped outside into the cooling night air. She pushed through a group of soldiers who were lurking just outside the bar smoking and trying to avoid the rain that was still coming down from the sky in soft but persistent drops. She stumbled a few meters away from the door, and then slowed down.

When she reached a little quiet side-alley next to the bar, she turned to walk a couple of steps into it to be out of sight. In a combination of relief and disappointment, she leaned her back against the cold stony house wall in the shadow of the alley. Closing her eyes to the rain, she lifted her face towards the sky, letting the cool air clear her mind.

She was really starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, now that she was on her legs. Everything was rather foggy, but when she closed her eyes and was relying entirely on her other senses for knowing what was going on around her, every impression seemed to be so much stronger. She perceived everything around her a bit more intensely. Things she normally didn't pay attention to: the sound of the raindrops meeting the pavement of the streets, the windows, the roofs, and the leaves of the trees; the soft, somewhat distant chatter from the soldiers in front of the bar, sometimes interrupted by a hearty laugh, or getting louder and quieter again when the door was opened and closed.

The raindrops hit her skin and lingered on the spot for a moment, before they ran in small rivulets down her face, her neck, and her collarbones, cooling her overheated body.

There was a sensuality to it all and the alcohol seemed to have for some reason heightened her sensitivity to a point where it became almost a torment. Every fiber of her body yearned to be touched. She should have stayed; should have taken the risk.

Sam moaned softly and pressed herself closer against the wall, her hands spread against the cool, rough stone surface while she completely lost herself in the experience. Lost in her sensual reverie, she was completely taken by surprise when suddenly another body was standing close to her own, strong hands lingering in the gentlest touch on her hips, and warm breath hitting the wet skin of her face, providing an interesting and captivating contrast to the cold raindrops.

Sam opened her eyes, and looked into the dark brown ones of Jack O'Neill. She didn't even have to look to know it was him - she recognized his scent – but his eyes were mesmerizing her, as he intensely gazed down into hers. Everything about his person drew her in.

"Hey," he whispered softly against her lips, his eyes scanning her face for any signs of reluctance or discomfort about his presence. There were none. On the contrary, her mouth opened ever so slightly as she sensually held his eyes and she relaxed against him.

Achingly slowly, he leaned in and brushed her lips with his in a soft, lingering touch. Carefully, he steadied himself against the wall with his hands left and right of her waist, effectively pinning her body in between him and the cold stone surface, while he moved his head back slightly to give her the chance to voice a protest if she wanted to.

Her eyes had fallen closed and when she felt him withdraw from the touch, her fingers tangled in the sides of his shirt to prevent him from moving away. It was all the encouragement that he needed.

Sam's breath hitched slightly in her throat, when she felt his body move against hers while his lips ever so gently grazed hers. She arched into him slightly and tried to intensify the contact. His kiss, albeit still very innocent, moved right through to the core of her body, prompting goose bumps to spread along her skin and causing her blood to start boiling as heat pooled in her abdomen. Never before in her life had a touch felt so alluring, so irresistible, and made her spin out of control so badly and so fast.

When he gently ran his tongue against her lips to entice her to open her mouth for him and allow him to deepen the kiss, she complied almost automatically as if her body had a will of its own. She felt his tongue slip past her lips into her mouth, gently running along hers in a teasingly soft exploration. He tasted like beer and whisky, and something that was uniquely him, and it made her want so much more. A soft little sound escaped her throat and died in his mouth.

She moved one of her hands away from his side to place it on his upper arm, running her fingers under the short sleeve of his t-shirt to trace the naked skin of his biceps. She felt like she was about to lose her mind, when his mouth moved hotly over hers, his tongue engaging hers in the gentlest and most sensual battle known to mankind.

He broke the kiss for a short moment to catch his breath and steady himself on the uneven pavement, before his body pressed into her even harder than before. In a gentle but firm grip, he kept holding her against the wall. Automatically she arched up, her lips blindly seeking his to reconnect them passionately.

Jack's initial kisses his had been careful, soft and sweet but now that she was fully engaging in them, his restraint vanished more and more with every touch of their lips.

Deep in her mind, Sam was aware that she should probably put an end to what they were doing, before things got out of control. But that would have meant breaking away from him, losing contact with his skin, and every fiber in her body absolutely protested that thought. She needed to feel more of him against her, and her body reacted to her wish almost automatically by softly starting to writhe against him, little whimpers leaving her lips and dying in his mouth.

He smiled into the kiss, using his hands to hold her steady against the wall, until he had maneuvered one of his legs between hers. Then he pulled her hips almost roughly against his, an outrageously intimate move considering that she was only wearing a skirt, and his leg was pressing unbelievably urgently against her female center now. Sam didn't care. Her body responded willingly to the new stimulation that his leg provided.

Jack broke away from her lips, and drew his mouth in a series of hot, seductive kisses along her jawline to her ear, using his hand at the same time to lift her thigh up slightly to intensify the pressure of his leg against her core.

"Oh God…" she whispered with a shaky voice, completely enthralled by the feelings he evoked inside of her, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Shhh…" he murmured hotly against her heated skin, afraid that somebody would hear them. "God, Sam, you're so sexy…"

Another whimper escaped her lips at this confession that he rasped seductively against her skin. Then his lips closed over a particularly sensitive spot under her ear, and her head rolled back against the wall. Her hand moved up to his head, burying in his hair, while she completely surrendered to his sensual assault.

"Jack…" She was panting softly, and looked at him through dazed eyes when he lifted his head. "I want to feel you… please… more…"

He growled against her, and for a moment he had to struggle for self-control. His hips thrust against hers gently as a response to her needy confession, and he pulled her in for another quick kiss, before he let go of her and pulled her with him a few more meters into the little street to the backdoor of the bar.

A few wooden boxes were standing at the side of the door, and without hesitation, Jack lifted the young woman up to sit on one of them, which put her exactly at the right height for her to be sitting and kissing him. Almost immediately, he reclaimed her mouth.

Sam moaned into the kiss when she felt the rough wood of the box against her naked thighs, and pulled Jack closer against her body in between her spread legs.

It was unambiguously lusty, and somewhere in the back of her mind she realized where this was going to end, but it didn't matter to her. She craved it. It had certainly never been on her life's agenda to have her first sexual experience in the pouring rain against the wall of a house in a dirty back alley. As things were, at the moment it was a rather alluring fantasy, and all she cared for was his nearness, his lips on hers, his skin against hers. For some reason however, his kisses and touches made her forget all about her initial fears and concerns about sleeping with him.

She didn't have much experience; Jack realized that from the way that she moved, the way she pulled him against her, the way her fingers were slightly shaking against his skin, now that they were taking things further. Something about that fact appealed to him because it meant that she didn't do this often; that she was not one of the women who would take every man to bed with her and that he wasn't just another man she decided to have fun with.

That fact made him want her even more. He slowed his kisses down again, his wild passion becoming sensual seduction in response to her inexperience.

He pulled her hips so close against his body that she was only barely still sitting on the boxes, for balance, so that he wouldn't have to worry about losing his hold on her. His hands moved along her thighs, under the hem of her skirt, touching her naked skin, and they both moaned at the feeling. Without letting go of her lips, Jack let one of his hands move around to her inner thighs, and slowly travel up to her center. Sam froze for a moment when he touched her most intimate core, before she whimpered against him in sheer pleasure, physical need triumphing over higher brain functions and reasonable thought.

He broke the kiss to be able to look at her and take in the absolutely blissful expression on her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly parted, and her breath, that was coming hard and fast, puffed hotly against the skin of his face.

Jack knew exactly how to make love to a woman, and so his hand expertly found what he was looking for. Her eyes flew open when his fingers moved past the boundary of her panties, along her naked center, and for a moment her hands gripped his arms in what almost seemed to be shock. Then a sound of absolute delight left her lips, when his fingers grazed the tender little bud of nerves. She held his eyes for a moment before she pulled him close against her to bury her head against his neck and muffle the little high-pitched whimpers that were escaping her now.

"God, Sam…" he muttered into her hair, her scent engulfing him, the entire experience driving him crazy. It amazed him how willingly she gave herself over to him in this. He wanted to have her, all of her. He wanted to hear the sounds she would make when she came for him, and he wanted to bury himself deep inside of her as he lost himself in her.

The fantasy was almost enough to make him lose control. Never before had he been so seemingly addicted to a woman, to her body, to every sound he elicited from her lips when his fingers teased her most sensitive spot and played her body as if she was an instrument that he was absolutely proficient in playing. His mind, his entire being was bent on making her come undone in his arms, only for him, before taking her completely. And he knew she would. She was willing, responsive and so close.

It all ended, when he eventually moved two of his fingers to tease her opening and she froze. Not in pleasure, or momentary shock at the overload of her senses, but really froze in momentary fear. Her body tensed up and, even though she was still panting and clasping on to him desperately, there was a distinct trembling of her body that he recognized. It made him come back to his senses. He had been with enough, both experienced and inexperienced, women to recognize the reaction. The realization was like a splash of cold water in his face.

She had never had sex at all before.

What the hell was he doing? He was a married man, and he was about to have quick, rushed sex against the wall of a dirty back-alley with a woman, who would consider this her first sexual experience. The part about her inexperience didn't even bother him so much – hell, if that had been the only problem, he would have just moved them somewhere else; somewhere more tasteful.

But he realized that he was in the process of completely losing himself in her; not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Her, a subordinate.

And from the sounds and looks of it, he wasn't the only one who was getting lost.

He wasn't even sure if his marriage was going to be valid, or would just exist on paper, but before he had heard from his old friend Jacob on the matter, any sexual encounter that happened had no hope of turning into something serious. And God knew that his mind was fixated on more than just a quick, hot encounter in a back-alley with Sam Carter; something a lot more serious, which could simply not happen.

For her sake – as well as his own – he had to stop this now. He had to stop, before things got to a point where they were irreversible and she would inadvertently get hurt.

"Sam," he whispered softly against her ear, withdrawing his hand slowly from her center and gently stroking her thigh, while she was coming down from her erotic high, realizing that something had changed in his attitude.

He felt her fingers at the sides of his body, clasping his shirt and desperately trying to pull him closer against her. Her entire body was demanding for the sweet release that his touches had been promising her just moments before, and he held her close against him, wishing that he could give it to her. Then he gently stepped back a little – though not enough to completely lose contact with her body - while his hand tipped her head up, so that she was looking into his eyes. "Have you done this before?"

She was looking at him breathlessly, taken aback at first by this question, and her mind obviously needed a moment to process the words, then she shook her head gently. "Not in the sense… just… other things. But I am a quick study, so…" she whispered breathlessly. He groaned slightly tortured and closed his eyes at the erotic images her words evoked in him. Then he sighed and pulled her close, pressing a soft, longing kiss against her forehead.

"This can't happen," he murmured gently after a short moment against the heated skin of her forehead.

She moved back slightly to be able to look at him, her face showing her confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

His hands, which were still holding her around the hips to steady her, tightened their hold on her for a moment. "No… no, absolutely not your fault."

"Oh… then why…" she started, but couldn't bring herself to finish the question. Her mind was still trying to grasp the sharp difference between the sensual pleasure she had experienced just a moment ago, and the harsh reality that she was faced with now.

"I'm married," he simply opened up, and he could feel her body freeze against him. "I'm sorry." He knew how lame his apology sounded in this context. He was behaving like a jerk; he really should have thought this through before acting on his primal urges.

Jack sighed softly. "I shouldn't even have started this… you are drunk, and quite frankly, so am I, although quite possibly a lot less drunk than you are. My point is… I wasn't exactly thinking with my head, and now that I am, this really isn't fair to you." He pulled her close again, his body shuddering at her proximity. "Believe me, I wish it was different."

"I… didn't know you were… nobody told me…" Her voice was weak, neutral, her tone expressing the disenchantment she felt inside at his words. He was married… "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… " Her voice trailed off again as she tried to get a grip of herself. Why hadn't he told her that he was married? She had asked him about girlfriends, and he had said that there were none. "God, I feel so stupid."

"Don't. Please don't." He murmured softly against her hair. "This has nothing to do with you. If anybody is to blame, it's me. I was losing myself in you… which is why this has to stop now. Besides, I really think you deserve better than this, especially for the first time. If I had known, I wouldn't even have… ya know…" His voice trailed off.

He was angry at himself for having let it get this far. He knew, it sounded like a dumb romantic cliché, but he didn't know what else to say, because it was absolutely true. It wasn't his style to seduce virgins into a quick fuck in a dirty back alley.

Sam pushed him away softly, but decidedly, and moved carefully down the box, her voice somewhat cold when she simply commented "I see." Jack's hands steadied her until he was sure that she was standing safely. He turned away from her to give her privacy to rearrange her skirt.

"Sam, you okay?" His voice was filled with concern.

"Yeah… sure. Nothing to worry about. Right? Sir?"

He turned around and flinched inwardly at this formal address, but understood immediately what it meant. She was fighting to regain control over the situation. He had hurt her, and she was desperately trying not to show it.

Damn, what had he done? He couldn't believe that he had been so damn stupid to allow things to get this much out of hand.

"I really shouldn't have put you in this position," he murmured, fighting the urge to draw her back into his embrace. She pushed his arms away softly when he touched her shoulder.

"Don't touch me… Sir, please," she said, pressing her lips together. "I just want to go back into the bar. Can we do that?"

"Of course."

Slowly, they went back through the small alley, a considerable distance between their bodies now. Before they were about to pass onto the main street, Jack softly grabbed the young woman's wrist, turning her to face him. "Are we going to be okay, Carter? I would understand, if you preferred to be assigned to another team. I can switch you and McKay if you would rather like to work in Sheppard's team instead of…"

"No… Sir," Sam interrupted him softly. "We were both drunk; things happened… we didn't really do anything… I mean except…" She blushed and winced, when the realization dawned on her. God, she had allowed him to move his hand into her panties.

"Hey, it's ok. You're right. No harm done," he calmed her down and she opened her eyes.

"Right. Just… to my pride."

He winced. "Really bad timing on my part to drop the marriage thing, huh?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I wish you had said that earlier."

They looked silently at each other for a moment, and then Jack let go of her arm and asked, "You okay to go back inside?"

"Yes, Sir." She nodded, and straightened herself out.

With a shallow feeling they both went back inside the little bar, neither of them saying a word to the other for the rest of the night.

**Next update in about 3 days! (Gotta add a little scene in the next one, and then revise, revise and revise!)**

_**A/N:** Very long chapter this time… wow. I only realized it when I saw it in a separate file. 23 pages in word. 16 of which are seduction… personal record._

_This is definitely one of my favorite chapters. I spent so much time revising it, because I wanted it to be perfect. And yes, it's the romance writer coming through. I just can't bring myself to use the f-word – not even in fanfiction. It makes me cringe._

_I hope it was as hot as I wanted it to be though. I was really going for sensuality, sexiness and seduction. Don't know if I succeeded._

_And message received: I will create a giveaway on my website, facebook, twitter and youtube as soon as I finished posting this story. :)_

_I will make ebook files (epub, mobi (for Kindle) and PDF) available on my homepage for free anyway, but additionally I will give away some hard copies on my website. I'll keep you informed about the start of it._

_And now it is review response time!_

_**Arashi7:** Thank you so much! The idea for this AU just came to me while I was watching an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine – which sometimes deals with the Bajoran resistance. It just all fell into place somehow, so I really think my muse deserves more credit for this than I do. _

_**ireneballester5:** Ooooohh… no! This time must have been torture for you! :( I am really sorry about making you wait for so long!_

_As for your question concerning Janet and Daniel: I had not plannet on starting a Janet/Daniel romance. I am kinda pairing Daniel up with Vala in this chapter. I hinted on the J/D romance in previous chapters. They used to be romantically involved, but broke it up and are just good friends now. I hope that doesn't disappoint you!_

_I know people are divided between J/D and V/D shippers. I guess I prefer Daniel with Vala, because they are so opposite. She does such interesting things to his personality. ;)_

_However, because of this division, I don't go too deep into Daniel's relationship, since I don't want to drive away the readers who are into Janet/Daniel. The display in this chapter is as far as it will go. Promised. _

_**mmkbrook:** Jack will find out soon. Give it some more chapters. :) Gotta keep it interesting! :P_

_**freshbit:** I figure if people take the time out of their life to write a response to one of my stories (which I really appreciate!), the least I can do is take a bit of time to reply to the comments. :)_

_Concerning the artifacts: I am trying to go easy on the techno-babble, because I am a bit insecure writing about it. I am no science geek, and I don't want to ruin the story by making Sam (or Daniel) say something that is untrue. But Sam and Daniel will certainly keep working together. :D_

_**ALIMOO1971:** Actually Jack is married to Sam. Remember the prologue? ;) Jacob and Jack signed a marriage contract over her head to protect Sam from being forcefully married to a gifted male by the Aschen government. _

_So especially in this chapter, that fact deliciously tangles and thickens the plot. I just love complex romances… *swoons* _

_**dpdp**: Thank you so much! I'm so glad it is one of your favorites! :D_

_**Guest:** Don't worry, you will see Jacob very soon. And then you will receive answers for your question whether Jack and Jacob are still in contact._

_**EvilTheLast, Kleopat:** Thank you so much for your continuing support. It is so good to see that you keep enjoying the story!_

_**avonleashores:** Thank you so much! I absolutely love writing Carter and McKay. I love their dynamic – not as a romantic couple! Just as two colleagues working together. :)_

_Concerning the giveaway: I will keep you posted. _

_**AJ:** Oh dear lord… so much for the quick updates. :( I am really sorry to make you wait so long!_

_And thank you so much for the compliment. I am very critical of my creative writing skills, and I read so many authors who do great jobs at expressing themselves that I can only aspire to reach someday. But I really thank you for the compliment and I hope you keep enjoying the story! :)_

_**Cassis**: Merci pout le compliment. Je suis très heureuse que tu aime l'histoire et je peux t'assurer, qu'il y aura plus de rebondissements. J'espère que tu appréciere le reste._

_**erinn80:** Oh, the UST will kill. It almost killed me during the writing process, so… ^^; It's not gonna take 8 years in this reality though. _

_There should be plenty of lemons at camp for Sam to defend herself. :D_

_**Jackina:** Jack has it bad – as can be seen in this chapter. Soo much trouble. I really hope he didn't come over as a jerk in the end though. He's just really, really feeling attracted to Sam – and he was drunk. :P_

_And I agree with you. I have not found any character in Stargate yet, that I hate. Okay, maybe one. What was the name of that slimy, long-haired guy from SG-A who was not happy with Weir's command decisions and wrote a report about it behind her back? I didn't like that guy. But he was just too easy to hate – so I didn't include him. _

_**Pm:** Sam in scientist mode is perfection! :) I really wanted to show how working in science changes her and finally gives her the confidence that she lacked before. _

_**louisa78:** Thank you so much! I really tried to capture McKay's character – not that it was hard. I have to say, some part of me secretly admires him. Out of all of SG-A, he is definitely my favorite. And if I had to decide for any of the guys from Atlantis, I'd definitely choose McKay. He's insufferable, but I believe, he is a good person inside._

_**Saissa:** Thank you so much! I am so glad that you like it so much, and thanks for the adds! ;)_

_**robinbishop1231:** Oh, wow! „Only One Road" was your first S/J fanfiction ever? O.o I am so happy you like it, and that you like this story as well. Have you checked out my website? If you have an ebook-reader, kindle or tablet, you can download the story as an ebook on my website. :)_

_As for your dream of writing: Why are you just dreaming? Sit down and write! ;) Just write! In writing, you have to do it in order to learn it. Just write, and rewrite, and rewrite. And don't be afraid – I know there are some very harsh people out there on the internet who criticize everything and everyone in reviews, comments and such, but you should never get discouraged. Just put it out there. You can learn from your mistakes. When you publish something, please let me know, so that I can read it! :)_

_**Guest #2:** Some of the better Sam/Jack fic? Cool! I really love that the story relieves some of your stress. _

_As for your predictions, very interesting. You are right, Jacob has no idea where Sam is. But don't worry, they will all learn who they are very, very soon. About 5 chapters from now. Or 6… or 7… depending on how many I still add in between. (^o^)v_

**_Alright, I hope I didn't forget anybody. If so, it was not done on purpose! I really appreciate it that you take the time to write responses, criticism or ask questions. Please feel free to keep doing so._**


	14. Chapter 13 - Dancing With A Broken Heart

_A/N: First of all, this chapter would be really bad if it hadn't been for __**esmejasper**__ who really helped with the revision of this. Especially the entire last section of the first part owes a lot to her, since she offered lots of dialogue improvements! Thank you so much!_

**Chapter 13 – Dancing With a Broken Heart**

"Ugh…"

Sam groaned softly, only half-awake, when she heard a tortured moan followed by the soft thudding sound of a body falling, followed by another moan stifled by a pillow. Mildly concerned, she opened her eyes and lifted her body to lean on her forearms. Dazed, she looked at Vala through half open eyes. The young woman was lying face down on her mattress, fully clothed and not moving.

"Hey, Vala, are you okay?" Sam asked sleepily, and another moan followed as a response. She was still deciding whether to take that as a yes or a no, when, from the third bed across the tent, the voice of Janet could be heard.

"Shhh… my head is killing me." She sounded as miserable as Sam was feeling after the past night.

"Sorry," Sam said quietly and sat up fully now, fighting back the nausea that hit her once she was sitting up straight. "But I think Vala needs help."

"Ugh…" Janet sat up, sighing deeply when she saw the state her friend was in. "God…" With a soft curse she got up, and blinked against the light while she stumbled over to the unconscious, young woman and turned her onto her back on the mattress.

"Vala…" Janet said, immediately in chief-medical-officer-mode while she was slapping her cheeks gently. The young woman opened her eyes and grinned at her brightly.

"HEY JANET…" she squealed and giggled, her head falling back to the side again. The next moment, she was out again.

Janet leaned back to sit on her legs and pressed her palms against her eyes. "She's fine, she's just completely plastered. My guess is that she only just got home."

"It's 9 in the morning." Sam stated matter-of-factly, lying back against her pillow to close her eyes.

"Yeah, well, it's Vala. Knowing her, she was probably with Daniel all night," Janet murmured and got up. "I need coffee and aspirin – lots of it." With that announcement, she left the tent.

Sam moaned and then rolled out of her sleeping bag slowly to follow her friend; that way Vala would have the much needed silence to sleep it off. Actually aspirin did sound like a good idea; Sam herself was suffering from the worst hangover of her life.

She followed Janet through the cold morning air and the wet grass into the medical tent, where the doctor went through some shelves, and eventually handed two pills and a bottle of water to Sam, then took the same for herself and sat down on a bed.

"Oh God, I think I haven't been this hung-over since Daniel's birthday party three years ago," she moaned. "My head is killing me."

"I don't think I've ever felt this bad," Sam replied, swallowing the pills, her mind thinking back to the previous night. Now that the alcohol was out of her system, she felt embarrassed, and ashamed. She had practically thrown herself at her camp commander; something she had never done before with any man or had ever planned to do with any man. She couldn't suppress a tortured moan at the memory.

"You okay?" Janet asked softly, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, just… mildly nauseous."

Janet looked at her and then started smiling, "Rough night?"

"Oh, you have no idea…" Sam replied, and took another huge gulp of water, as if the liquid could wash the memories out of her.

"Actually I do… I heard, that O'Neill and you disappeared in a back alley for about half an hour."

Sam looked at her, her eyes wide in shock and embarrassment. "How did you…?"

"The soldiers who were smoking outside the bar saw you two… gossip travels at the speed of light here, Sam, you gotta get used to it." Janet joked with a soft laugh, and winced when the laugh hurt her head in a stinging pain. "So, how was it?"

"Nothing happened," Sam replied, not looking at her friend.

"Oh come on, Sammy…" Janet imitated Vala's tone, and Sam shot her an annoyed look at the use of that nickname, "you can tell me!"

"Well… we made out, that's it."

"Just making out?" The young doctor kept teasing with a smile.

"Yeah," Sam deadpanned and Janet's face became serious.

"Oh." They fell silent for a moment, before Janet decided to poke even further. "He didn't even try to…?"

Her question was interrupted when Sam's facial expression changed to angry. "Just… let it go, okay?"

"Everything okay?"

"No, Janet, not everything is okay! How is it possible that gossip travels so damn fast that everybody here knows about O'Neill and me mere hours after it happened, and yet not once did anybody tell me that he is married, even though I've been here for almost four months?"

Janet just stared at her friend, completely dumfounded by what she had said, while Sam continued raging.

"I mean, really, you and Vala even encouraged me to pursue him! Neither one of you thought about mentioning that little detail to me? God, I would never even have flirted with him if I'd had any idea…"

"Sam… Sam!" Janet interrupted her now, having gotten up and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Calm down. What are you talking about?"

"Jack O'Neill." Sam stated, looking at her friend with anger still visible in her eyes. "He's married." She loosened herself from Janet's grip with a sigh, before she sat down on the bed again, staring at her hands.

"Um…" Janet started after a short moment of complete and utter confusion. "No, he's not."

"Yes, he is." Sam replied, looking up at her friend now. "He told me last night while we were… when we were…" Blushing, she realized that there was really no need to give Janet all the details of how far they had actually gone. So she finally concluded simply, "…out there in the alley."

"Okay…" Janet said, completely confused now. "Jack O'Neill? Our base commander?"

"Yes."

"You sure it was Jack, and not some other guy later on who said that?" Janet asked again and Sam's head shot up when she became mildly annoyed now.

"I wasn't that out of it – granted, I was drunk enough to become way too straight forward, but I still know who I was with in that alley," she announced. "Jack O'Neill told me that he was married."

"While you were…"

"Well, actually before we were doing anything really… god, this is so embarrassing." The realization of the full extent to what they had been doing – what they had almost done – hit her even worse now that she was sobered up, and Sam felt nausea returning back to her stomach. She had no idea how to face him after their little interlude; not to mention work with him professionally. After she had just earned his respect, she had thrown all of that away for a quick adventure that had ended in a debacle.

"Well, Sam, I don't know what to tell you. He isn't married," Janet informed her with a very soft voice.

"What?" Sam looked up at her friend with wide eyes.

"Jack O'Neill, our base commander, is not married. He used to be married, but his son died in an accident, and his wife left him and disappeared soon after that. He's divorced, he isn't married." Janet explained gently, and then shook her head in complete disbelief. "He told you he was married?"

"Oh… God…" Sam whispered, the nausea becoming almost overwhelming when the implications of Janet's statement sunk in. He had lied to her. He had lied to her to get out of having sex with her. It had been her fault! It had to be, why else would he change his mind in the middle of it, and come up with a lame excuse to get out of the situation. She felt like somebody had punched her with a fist into her stomach. For a moment in the bar during the past evening, she had gotten the impression that he really liked her. She had been wrong. The pain she felt at that realization was completely overwhelming her. "I am so stupid… oh God, this is so humiliating…"

"Oooohh…. Sam…" Janet jumped up, rushing to get one of the buckets that were standing in a corner, when she saw the pale expression on her friend's face.

A few minutes minutes later, Sam was sitting miserably and mildly shaking on the bed, the rest of the alcohol out of her system after her stomach had been unable to hold on to whatever was left in it. Janet was sitting next to her, an arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arms gently to get her to warm up.

"I'm sorry, I encouraged you to pursue him," she said softly. "I swear, I had no idea, that he was such a jerk. He has never gone for any woman at camp before, and you two seemed to – well, there seemed to be mutual attraction between you two, so I thought it would be good for both of you to focus on something other than just work for a night."

Silent tears were running down Sam's face, and she was frantically wiping over her eyes with one of the tissues that Janet had handed her. The situation shouldn't have affected her this much; and worst of all, his rejection shouldn't make her feel this weak and miserable. She hated herself for the feeling of deep betrayal and loneliness that the realization of what he had done caused in her. Why did she feel so betrayed by him? It was completely unreasonable. Nothing in the way they had flirted had indicated that she should hope for more than a quick adventure. So why on Earth did she feel so devastated?

"I'm sorry…" she sobbed, when she realized, that her tears kept coming and she couldn't stop them. Janet kept rubbing her arms softly. "I don't want to cry. I don't know why I can't stop."

"Because he hurt you Sam, that's why." Janet's voice was gentle and she saw the desperation in her friend's eyes at these words.

In a valiant attempt to pull herself together, Sam shook her head. "It shouldn't be such a big deal. I never actually wanted to pursue any of it in the first place. If it hadn't been for the alcohol it would never have got that far. It was stupid of me to make a move on him; a guy like him would never go for someone like me. Just... last night I thought… for a split second…" She broke off as a fresh wave of tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed heavily.

"You really like him," Janet suddenly realized, for a moment completely put off. She had known that her friend felt attracted to their base commander. However, up to now she had thought that the attraction had been of a physical nature. She hadn't been aware, that her friend actually held feelings for the man. And apparently neither had Sam herself, judging from the look on her face. Her forlorn silence was assent enough for Janet. "What do you want to do now?"

For a while Sam didn't answer but merely sniffed and played with her tissue. Her mind was uncharacteristically blank, when she realized there really wasn't anything that she could do about it. He had turned her down. All she could do was what she had done when Jonas had broken up with her: walk away with pride. After all, it had been nothing more than a short erotic excursion. Yes, they had made out, but they hadn't had sex. Eventually she spoke. "Nothing."

"Sam…"

"No, Janet. I was really looking forward to my work with SG-1, and I still am. I want to be able to work together with him. Normally. I can't do that if things are awkward between us. We said we wouldn't let this interfere with work, and I won't. He didn't want to be with me. It's no big deal. I won't make a scene." And she certainly wouldn't beg him to change his mind, she thought quietly. The best she could do was stay away from him privately.

"But…"

"Janet, just drop it. Nothing happened."

Janet bristled. "But something did happen!"

"Janet, please!" Sam hissed. "Keep your voice down! This needs to stay between us. The situation is humiliating enough as it is. Yes, he changed his mind while we were making out, but so what? It doesn't mean anything."

"It means he's an asshat!"

"It doesn't matter." Sam said firmly, and straightened out slightly when she spoke the words outloud. It really didn't matter. She had joined the resistance to fight the Aschen, and now that she knew that they had a second Stargate, she was so close to all of her dreams coming true. Whatever had happened last night between Jack O'Neill and her had been a drunken mistake – nothing more, and nothing less. It had never been her priority to find romance, therefore she had to focus all of her mind on what really made her happy: her work.

"I appreciate your concern Janet, really." Sam's face softened and she smiled at her indignant friend. "But the colonel and I agreed that we would not make a big deal out of it, and I just want to go back to the way things were before. So please. Nothing happened."

Janet sighed and regarded her young friend for a moment. "Okay," she finally capitulated. "It's your choice. But I still think he behaved like a giant bastard."

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

"Jack!" Daniel sidled into the command tent without any kind of pleasantries announcing his presence beforehand.

"Daniel…" Jack looked up at his friend, raising his eyebrows when he saw the mysterious look on the archeologist's face.

"How's things?"

"Great," Jack nodded. "You?"

"Absolutely wonderful."

"Yeah? So you and Vala…" Jack waved his hand to indicate the new status of their relationship, and Daniel nodded.

"Yeah, well, we'll see where it goes. I heard about you and Sam." He looked at Jack pointedly, and the older man's face became darker. He had known immediately that something was up; Daniel had never entered his tent so nonchalantly, unless he had an ulterior motive. This was apparently one of those moments where the archeologist wanted him to spill some deep insight about his emotions – something that Jack was absolutely not interested in.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Everybody knows." Daniel informed him, and Jack closed his eyes.

Great. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He didn't care for the rumors that were being spread behind his back, but he really didn't want to expose Sam to this kind of talk. Mostly because he wanted to prevent people from starting to claim that he had only given her the job on his team because he felt attracted to her. She was too good for that, and she definitely deserved better.

"Sam was crying this morning." Daniel went on in a tone as if he was chatting about the weather. Jack looked up at him pointedly, his stomach feeling as if somebody had put a knot in there. She had been crying; because of what he had done to her.

"Is she alright?" His voice showed more concern than he wanted it to, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Daniel.

"Is she alright?" He repeated what Jack had said, his brow furrowing. "She was crying, of course she's not alright. You told the woman that you were married in order to get rid of her?"

Jack stared at him dumbfounded, and for a moment contemplated whether he should instate a new rule to put a ban on gossip into place. It was ridiculous how fast information spread at camp. "How did you… did she tell you?"

"No," Daniel hurried to say. "She didn't say a word to me. I happened to overhear her and Janet talking this morning when I went to get some aspirin from the infirmary. Don't worry, I didn't tell anybody else." Jack relaxed visibly for a moment, and Daniel went on. "Of course, Janet informed her that you aren't married, and Sam started crying. She has calmed down now and decided to pretend nothing happened, but she's pretty cut up about it. What on Earth were you thinking, telling her that?"

Jack got up, staring at his friend. "Janet told her…what?"

Daniel huffed. "What, did you think you could keep it a secret? They're friends, Jack. You had to realize that she'd find out the truth eventually! God, sometimes you can be so-so-so damn…" He stared at Jack, desperately searching for an insult to describe what he was thinking about his friend at that moment.

"Daniel, I AM married." Jack's voice was calm and dry.

Daniel blinked as he processed the matter-of-fact statement. "You what?"

"I am married. Have been for over five months."

Daniel folded his arms, his eyes scanning his friend's face at this revelation. "And my invitation got – what? Lost in the mail?"

"It wasn't a formal ceremony. It wasn't even anything romantic." Jack sat back down in his chair with a sigh, and Daniel merely stared at him. The camp commander's voice was void of any emotion as he continued, "I agreed to marry the daughter of an old friend of mine. I don't even know the girl, I never met her. It was a necessary arrangement to protect her from the breeding system; let's just leave it at that. At this point I don't even know whether the marriage will only be valid on paper, or whether we will try to work it out. Her father wanted to get back to me on the matter, and so far I haven't heard anything from him.".

"A forced arrangement?" Daniel asked incredulously, and Jack nodded.

"Yes." When Jack saw that this admittance caused open outrage to show on Daniel's face, he shook his head. "Believe me, I wasn't happy about it either, but there were pressing needs that justified the decision. I wanted to handle the matter discreetly, which is why I didn't spread the word. Just, last night… it didn't seem fair to Carter." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, pressing his palms against his eyes to fight back his growing headache. "Janet told her I had lied to her?"

"Yeah…" Daniel nodded, sitting down on a box in front of the desk. "How could she say anything else? She doesn't know that you were telling the truth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted to handle the matter discreetly for now, until Jacob and I talked about how to proceed. We've been pretty busy here with training the new recruits and the latest Stargate missions, so I didn't get a chance to go meet him again – or meet his daughter."

"I didn't even know Jacob had a daughter." Daniel replied. "What's her name?"

Jack looked up at him, his face completely blank and Daniel closed his eyes in a mixture of horror and annoyance as he realized what that meant. "Jack, please tell me that you at least know the girl's name."

"I didn't actually read the contract. I just put my signature under it." Jack finally confessed. "You know how I feel about unnecessary paperwork – and bureaucracy."

"Unnecessary paperwork?" Daniel shook his head in bewilderment. "It's your marriage contract!"

"I know," Jack sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His mind returned to Sam for a moment. He had not foreseen that his reluctance to inform his friends about the marriage would cause these kinds of complications. Unfortunately, it was Sam who was suffering because of all of that now. The entire situation had gotten completely out of control. "God, Sam must think I'm a complete…" He opened his eyes, looking at his friend without finishing the sentence.

"Bastard? Jerk? Son of a…"

"I get the point, thanks!" Jack stopped him and shook his head. "I really didn't mean to hurt her."

"Why did you even let it get that far if you're married – if you can call it that?" Daniel reproached and Jack got up, feeling mild anger now.

"I didn't think, okay? And it's not like I planned on seducing her. It just kind of… happened. There's something about her that's just… " He sighed, and ran his hands over his face in mild frustration. "I didn't think it would be that hard not to fall for her."

Daniel watched his friend for a moment, realizing suddenly that Jack really liked Sam Carter – and from what he had overheard that morning, she liked him too. The entire situation was completely messed up. "You know, you could always annul the wedding contract – it shouldn't be a problem if you have never even seen your bride before; or didn't even bother to read the damn thing," he offered gently in an attempt to resolve the complex situation.

"No," Jack shook his head and looked at his friend. "I gave Jacob my word. Besides, the circumstances are too difficult for me to just step out. It would have severe consequences for his daughter. I may not know her, but believe me; I wouldn't want to do that to anybody."

"I see." Daniel merely commented, and then finally got up. "Well, if I was you, I would at least clear things up with Sam. Tell her the truth. Because at the moment, she and Janet both think that you are the biggest bastard on the face of this planet."

Jack thought for a moment, before his face became hard, and he shook his head. "No."

"No?" Daniel repeated incredulously. "Jack, if you care about her…"

"Maybe it's not the worst idea if she thinks I'm an idiot. It will make her stay away from me, and that will prevent any further temptations in the future." Jack replied and leaned over the reports again that he was reading. "If she hates me, at least she won't be nice to me – or give me one of those radiant smiles."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard – even from you."

"Daniel… I'm warning you, if word gets out, I will personally shoot you." Jack muttered fiercely now, his command voice firmly in place.

"Jack, you work with the woman! As a matter of fact, we both work with her! She will have our backs in the field. Aren't you scared that she will shoot you from behind?"

"No," Jack replied lowering his eyes again. "She will keep it professional; I know her well enough to be sure of that. I gave her the option to go on another team last night, and she didn't take it. She will do whatever is necessary to be a part of the team. And so will I."

"You know… sometimes I worry about you… seriously! You are way too fixated on your work; you don't even care for the feelings of the people around you.

"Well, what do you suggest I do? You think it would be better to go to her, and tell her that I didn't lie? That I care about her – a lot more than I'm supposed to? Only to then tell her in the next sentence that I am married and therefore can't pursue anything with her?" He shook his head. "No. At least this way, she can have some kind of closure; even if it means hating me, let her have it."

"Closure?" Daniel's voice showed his disbelief. "I would hardly call it closure."

"She'll get over it. Then she'll have closure. Just give it a few days." Jack's voice made clear that he was not willing to discuss the subject any longer, and so Daniel finally left with a frustrated sound, his hands fisted at his sides. Some days he really just wanted to punch some sense into his friend.

Jack dropped his pen as soon as Daniel had left, and closed his eyes. He felt horrible. The situation had really not played out the way he had meant it to play out, and he had to admit that Daniel was right: Even though he blamed the alcohol for lowering his inhibitions, he knew that wasn't much of an excuse. He shouldn't even have started flirting with Sam in the first place.

Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined the possibility that she might feel a similar attraction to him. Once she had returned his flirtations, his restraint had just abandoned him completely. He liked her – a lot – and his body had betrayed him on that front.

His only option at the moment was to keep his distance from her – no matter how much he wanted to go to her and tell her the truth.

If Janet was taking care of her, she was in good hands – in better hands than if he had taken care of the matter now.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

Sam inhaled deeply and straightened out, checking the weapons at her belt for what felt like the thousandth time, before she finally felt strong enough to leave the tent. It wasn't like she had any other option anyway. She had to meet her future team (meaning Daniel Jack and Jack O'Neill) at the Stargate in exactly ten minutes, and she really didn't want to be late.

Her hand reached out to push the mosquito net away so that she could step outside, but then she faltered. She had to stay in control. She would see Jack O'Neill for the first time since that night (two days ago), and she didn't know how he would treat her – or if she could even look at him. But she had to stay in control of her emotions.

This was her first trip through the Stargate! She had dreamed of this her entire life, and the dream would finally come true. She was happy!

Happy, she repeated to herself in her mind over and over again, before she forced a smile onto her face and stepped outside.

Once she had left camp and was walking on the narrow forest path that led up the hill to the Stargate, the smile faded from her face. She had to be strong. And there was no way she would let the extent of her hurt show on her face.

She knew that she could do this. It was no different from having to hide her anger for Mitchell or Hanson during boot camp training. She had learned to control her emotions – all she had to do was remember her training. A broken heart didn't kill her; and she knew from experience, that the feeling would cease after a few days – maybe a week. It wasn't worth jeopardizing her entire future because of it.

When Sam reached the Stargate, Daniel was already there, going through his backpack and a number of boxes.

"Hey!" He greeted her with a smile, and Sam thought that he looked a hint more concerned than usual. "How are you?"

"Great!" Sam put on her fake smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Yeah…" Daniel nodded, studying her a moment longer, before he looked down at his papers again. "Do you mind helping me go through this list? We have to take all this stuff through to deliver to SG-6, so we'll have to check if we packed everything."

"Sure," Sam nodded, grateful for the distraction.

Five minutes later, when Jack O'Neill arrived in his full mission gear, they were finished.

Sam didn't look at him as he wished them a good morning.

"As you know, this will be a simple delivery mission. I know, Daniel, you're not thrilled by this, but I figured, since it will be Carter's first trip through the gate, we should keep it relaxing. Besides, nobody else wanted this mission." He added jokingly.

Sam's face darkened a little. "I can assure you, Sir that you don't have to assign us the easy missions on my account. I am more than capable of handling whatever might happen."

There was a sharp undertone to her voice, and he flinched inwardly. Nothing in her perfect posture suggested it, but he was sure that her statement was more than a professional reminder. He cleared his throat mildly awkwardly. He knew, he deserved her cold attitude – even more, he had asked for it. But now that he was faced with it, he wasn't sure whether he would be able to handle it.

When Daniel started dialing the gate, he stepped towards her.

"Carter," he started in a lowered voice so that only she would hear him. "I know what you think of me now. I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hurt me, Sir?" She looked up at him, and for a moment he was taken aback by the controlled and cold expression on her face. "Please, don't flatter yourself. You seem to be completely overestimating the significance of the little incident. It was a short moment of fun; certainly nothing to dwell on or worry about."

Sam was amazed by how distant she sounded even to her own ears, and she felt as if the words were spoken by somebody else.

Jack scanned her face, but before he could say anything else, the opening event horizon of the Stargate drew all her attention away from him. And then he saw her again – the real her. The amazement in her eyes, the absolute fascination that was written all over her face and the open enthusiasm about going through the gate. For a moment she dropped the mask of indifference that she had put on, undoubtedly on his account.

Part of him wished that she would drop her mask like that for him, but he knew that he neither deserved it, nor should hope for it. It would just get him into deeper trouble with her. If he was lucky, they would be able to gradually work their way back into a friendship between teammates. But that would take time.

Without another word, he lifted his sunglasses to put them on his face, and grabbed two of the boxes. "Alright people, let's move out."

Sam looked after him as he stepped through the gate and dematerialized in the event horizon. In complete fascination, she stepped closer to the sparkling surface that looked like little waves were rippling through it.

"This is incredible," she breathed and touched the gleaming blue surface; first carefully with her fingertips, then she put her hand in.

Although it looked like water, it definitely felt a lot different. There was a tingling sensation to her hand – although it was most likely the reaction of the nerve endings in her arm that responded to the dematerialization of her hand.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Daniel asked with a smile, and Sam turned her head to return his smile openly.

"It is even more beautiful than I thought it would be."

He laughed, before he became serious again. "Don't take too long. Jack doesn't like to wait."

With those words, he stepped through the gate and dematerialized as well. Sam turned around to take the remaining two boxes, and stepped towards the open gate.

This was it. Everything that she had endured up to this moment had led her straight to this point. When she looked at the sparkling surface of the wormhole once more, a deep peace started to settle inside of her. It had been worth it. Everything had been worth it. This was her dream coming true – and nothing else mattered anymore.

She had become strong and independent. She was working in the sciences and she was going through the Stargate. She was happy!

And then she stepped through…

_**The next update will be online soon!**_

_**A/N:**_

_This chapter was inspired by Delta Goodrem's song "Dancing With a Broken Heart". It seemed to fit Sam perfectly. _

_Alright, some of you made comments about the rating for the last chapter. Message received. ;) I moved the story into the M section now. I am very liberal when it comes to those things, and to me the scene is really not worse than what you see in some movies that are rated T, but as I said, I might __be a bit too jaded. So just to be on the safe side… Rating M._

_**Review-Response Time! :)**_

_**mmkbrook**__: Oh, so glad that you think I nailed the three S. :D I will not give anything away about Jacob yet, but he will make an appearance very soon in the story. _

_And yes, Sam and Jack will circle around each other for quite a bit. ;) That gives me the opportunity for more UST, and it will make the eventual RST soooo much sweeter. ;)_

_**ALIMOO1971**__: Jack doesn't know that Sam is his wife – and Sam doesn't know that Jack is her husband. That's the beauty of the situation. :D And I don'T think, I quite understand your Air Foce/Navy rank comment. They are not the Air Force – this is the resistance. So they have different ranks._

_**dpdp, EvilTheLast, Pm**__, and __**Boredomkills**__: Thank you so much, I am glad you still like the story!_

_**robinbishop1231:**__ Message received and rating changed. :D There will be a lot more UST (I hope). And I did indeed try to make the RST EPIC. I hope I succeeded – it's still gonna be a while until then though._

_**Saissa**__: I think this chapter answers your question concerning Jack knowing Sam's name. I originally intended to address this in about 4-5 chapters, but since some people were asking questions, I figured I'd insert a part in this chapter already to address the issue. ;) I hope, that it clears up the question…_

_**erinn80**__: Indirect SPOILER – maybe. Yeah… she is Sam… and don't forget that she's absolutely opposed to her marriage, and her father choosing her husband, so how do you think she will react when she learns that Jack played a part in it? :D BUT that also means that Jack can put more effort into seducing her – and we'll see how long she lasts… (Okay, that sounds so wrong, but Sam is in love with him after all – even if she doesn't want to be. That's the beauty of love… we don't get to choose.)_

_**louisa78**__: Woohooo… best and hottest sex scene ever? Thank you! Also, that puts a very high standard on the ones to come, and I hope I can still top it. I am so glad that you like it!_

_**Lulea**__: Yup, changed the rating. I realized, many people perceived this as M, and I don't want people to be surprised. Better safe than faced with angry readers. :P I am really great you like it though!_

_**vcm**__: 5 or 6 chapters, I am not sure. At the moment, I am adding things in between here and there, which is why the numbers of the chapters are still changing slightly. _

_And rest assured, it will be a slow burn. Very slow… with lots of UST. _

_**skarosianlifeform**__: You are absolutely right. I know your review was actually for chapter 10, but I added it in here, because you sent me a PM too and I forgot to answer it. First of all, SORRY for the millions of lightyears thing. It was a stupid slip-up that I just read over in my later revision. :(( I have changed it now to thousands of lightyears, which should be more accurate. I don't know how many lightyears the Aschen homeworld is from Earth, but the Milky Way is about 100.000 LY in diameter, so thousands of lightyears should be somewhat accurate. _

_I also thought a lot about your suggestions concerning the Aschen's role in the galaxy, which I why I am doing so many rewrites and inserts at the moment. But I don't want to give anything away too soon._

_I really appreciate you pointing out those mistakes. If you come across more in the future, please don't hestitate to tell me, so that I can correct them right away!_

_You seem to be one of only very few people who like Vala, and realize that she was helping Sam. Many seem to start to hate her, which makes me sad, because I love Vala. And I didn't want readers to hate her, so I failed as a writer. I'll have to come up with something to make readers like her more. ;)_

_Cassis: Merci! J'espère que l'histoire continuera à tu epatér. _

_**avonleashores**__: OMG, I realized that in later re-reads, that everybody is hitting on Sam. . She really does seem a little bit like a Mary Sue in this, doesn't she? I think I overcompensated there. _

_I really don't think Mitchell or Sheppard are attractive (yeah, so sue me), but I knew that there were Cam/Sam, John/Sam and even McKay/Sam shippers out there, so I wanted to homage those ships a little. ;) Sam is a pretty woman, and she just saved Sheppard's life, so he can have a bit of a hero-crush on her. _

_**Sequinn**__: Thank you so much, and I am happy you like it! Take your seat and fasten your seatbelt, it will be a long and stormy (and sexy) ride. (Okay, that sounded creepy…) ;D_

_**Aj**__: You shall have more soon. :)_

_**Yol**__: What you said! Actually, originally, I had an entire love scene written out, and then I realized ‚The guy is married. He knows he's married. So he is basically cheating on his wife.' It just made Jack look so bad, and it felt incredibly OOC. Jack can be a jerk and an ass at times, but I believe the one thing he wouldn't do is cheat. (Or maybe that's just wishful thinking…) His character is portrayed as very loyal and honorable on the show, so I wanted to keep it that way._

_As for the contract: that originally got addressed in the chapter with Jacob – but since people keep asking, I have included a little bit of dialogue in this one to address the issue. _

_**Channach**__: But… but… but… no! ;) I don't want them to be together already! There are another 25 chapters ahead of us… and another15 at least until they get together. What good is a romance if the couple gets together right away? :D_

_Yes, the forced marriage thing has to be handled carefully. I love dominant Jack, but I also love equal Sam, so I am walking a bit of a middle-way there. ;)_

**_Thanks to everybody for your kind and critical reviews! I appreciate them all very much!_**


	15. Chapter 14 - Brave

_A big thanks to __**esmejasper **__for betareading this and correcting my grammar and spelling mistakes!_

**Chapter 14 – Brave**

**_2 months later_**

"Morris, come in." Jack pressed the button of his radio with his fingers, while looking around the immediate landscape surrounding the small pyramid, a P90 in his other hand. Only a moment later he heard static over the radio, and then the distorted voice of Ensign Jason Morris could be heard.

"Copy, Sir."

"How is the gate?"

"All clear, Sir. As always, the gate is as dead as the entire planet."

"Keep watching. Two hours and thirty-five minutes left. We'll pack up here soon and join you. O'Neill out."

"Copy that, Sir."

The radio turned itself off with a little clacking-sound and Jack sighed, looking around again. He was positively bored. For the past nine and a half hours, he had been wandering about the perimeter. Meanwhile Carter and Jackson were taking apart one of the pyramids, which they had found on this planet some months ago, with an intense fascination as though they had just discovered the existence of a new life form. To him it was just one of a lot of old buildings; stones which were slowly crumbling – with some weird doodles on them courtesy of some person sometime in the past.

He turned around and slowly strolled through the small entrance into the inner court of the building complex. Daniel was working on the inscriptions on one of the pillars, completely lost in his work and apparently not even registering Jack's presence, so he kept walking.

He already knew where Carter was. She had spent the past 3 hours in one of the rooms which Daniel suspected was once a burial chamber, and Jack was pretty sure that she would still be there now.

Over the past two months, their relationship had somewhat improved after their little escapade at the bar. As he had promised, he never let it stand between them professionally. And neither did she.

It had amazed him, how professionally she had dealt with their first mission. Daniel had told him how beat up she had seemingly been, thinking that he had lied to her. Nothing in her attitude had revealed those feelings though. Granted, she had been very distant with him. There had been no banter, or small-talk, but she had followed his orders to the letter and had had his back on missions. He couldn't help but admire her for that professionalism, and his respect for her had grown even more knowing that he could absolutely rely on her.

Over the course of the weeks, and their missions, the atmosphere between them had slowly improved. Every now and then she had even replied to one of his ironic remarks, or joined one of their small-talk conversations – even though in the beginning the talk had largely happened between her and Daniel.

By now they were at a point where she was openly chatting with him, and even joking from time to time; although it was visible that she was very cautious about not moving past friendly banter between teammate with him. Jack didn't know whether he should be happy for that, or not.

Sam's banter and occasional smiles were painful reminders of the fact that she was a more than fascinating woman – and a small part of him wished that she didn't constantly remind him of that. He was professional of course, never treating her any different from any of his men. However, he knew that he had to be careful around her and not let his guard down too much, if he didn't want things to go downhill again.

After his divorce papers had been filed by the Aschen government, he had concentrated all of his energy to working in the resistance. He had made his way up the ranks fast, not least thanks to the fact that he had felt like a person who had nothing to lose. And his behavior during missions had reflected that. He had been reckless, but it was this kind of recklessness that had qualified him for the dangerous missions that were generally considered to be suicide missions and that had helped him to earn one promotion after another.

It was amazing what a person who wasn't afraid – not even of death – could achieve. But it was also a dangerous attitude, and so after about a year he had changed direction. During all of that time, the idea that he might ever want to have a relationship or marry again had never crossed his mind. He was too pragmatic for such silly romantic whims.

It wasn't that he hadn't had any relationship at all after his divorce. But after the largely horrifying experience of his marriage, his stance on relationships was a lot less fixed. He had absolutely no problem finding women and seducing them for a quick physical experience of closeness. However, the night at O'Malley's with Sam Carter had somehow stopped him in his tracks.

Being with Sam Carter had felt so right, and he had felt like there was a bond between them that went beyond physical lust and a heat of the moment desire - which was why he had needed to put a stop to it there and then. It was completely ridiculous, of course, to believe in romantic ideas such as 'a bond between them', but he felt that he had to be careful around her nonetheless.

Daniel had been right. If things had been different, and he had not agreed to marry Jacob's daughter almost 8 months ago, he had no doubt that Sam Carter would be a woman that could make him seriously reconsider his take on marriage and relationships.

Jack entered the small burial chamber and found Carter working on one of the back walls. A little stone drawer, which had apparently been hidden in the wall, was open now, and she was analyzing it.

"Still enjoying your doohickeys, I see," he remarked dryly, and she looked up, giving him an absent smile.

"This is really fascinating, Sir. There's some kind of technology operating this wall," she started and he interrupted her before this ended in one of her speeches where he only understood about half of what she was saying – if he was lucky.

"Yeah, well, just don't get too caught up in it. You have one hour left, and then I want you to start packing up all this stuff, so we can walk back to the gate."

"Understood, Sir," she nodded, and he turned back around to walk out, when he suddenly heard the sound of something opening and her making a surprised sound. Upon turning around, he could see why she was surprised. The entire wall had somehow moved down, opening up what seemed to be a small, brightly-lit shelf. It was obviously powered by some kind of energy source.

"Wow…" he commented. "How did you do that?"

"Actually, Sir… I'm not entirely sure." Sam replied, rising from her kneeling position to look at the shelf. Something was lying on it and she eyed it curiously. It was a silvery-black metal device; shaped abstractly like an S. Odd little signs and patters were carved into the sides and its metal grip.

"What's that?"

Sam turned her head slightly to look at her commanding officer who was standing right next to her now, his face only inches away from hers, as he was staring at the device.

"Um… I don't know." She eyed him from the corners of her eyes, slightly confused by his nearness, but didn't say anything. Instead she reached out to pick up whatever the thing was they had just found.

"It's cold, and heavy… definitely metal," she described.

"Is it an energy source? Maybe something like the one that's powering this… thing, and that we could adapt to our technology?" He asked mildly curiously, signaling towards the wall, but she shook her head.

"I don't think so, Sir. At least I don't see any outlets, or other ways to connect it to something." She turned the device in her hand. "It might be a key… maybe to a room. I'm sure Daniel will…"

The next thing happened too quickly for either of them to really realizing what was happening. In her careful, but curious examination of the little device, she had accidentally pressed a little button hidden on one of the sides. It clicked, opened, and the next moment something that looked like bundled lightening discharged from the top of the device. It was pointed at O'Neill, and he instantly fell to the ground with a thud. Sam shrieked slightly, dropping the device in shock, and stared open-mouthed at her commanding officer who was lying motionlessly on the ground next to her.

Daniel, who had been startled by her shriek, came running in the doorway immediately, and he came to a dead stop when he saw Jack lying on the ground. For a moment, neither of them said a word, paralyzed by the fear of the possibility that the man might be dead.

Until they heard him groan slightly, and move his head. "Oy…" He grimaced in pain.

"Oh my God, Sir…" Sam dropped to her knees next to him immediately, her fingers touching his jugular to feel his pulse. When she realized that it was strong and steady, she relaxed, an expression of incredible relief showing on her face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… are you okay?"

"I've been better," Jack moaned, still not moving while he tried to block out the pain that he was feeling in his entire body.

"What happened?" Daniel asked, confused.

"I think, Carter just shot me…" The man on the ground moaned with an obvious hint of sarcasm in his voice and Daniel raised his eyebrows, looking at his pale female friend.

"Whoops." He commented, unable to suppress the small grin that was forming on his face.

"It was an accident!" Sam exclaimed, looking at Daniel. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Damn, this hurts." O'Neill tried to get up, and Sam quickly steadied him on his one side, while Daniel helped on the other.

"Some kind of energy discharge, Sir. Seems like it has a paralyzing effect, and I think you were out for a moment." Sam explained and he looked at her somewhat grimly.

"Thanks for the update, Carter, I noticed that."

"Sorry, Sir," she winced at his wry tone. Daniel shrugged at Sam, still unable to hide his grin.

"You enjoying yourself, Daniel?" Jack growled and leaned against the sarcophagus in the middle of the room.

"A little bit, yes."

"Wait until she shoots you." O'Neill replied, and then slowly walked towards the exit, still rather unsteady,. "Carter… don't touch anything else. I don't want you to blow up this entire complex." When he was turning around to look back at her, he could see her just bending over the weapon, about to pick it up. "Ah!" he said, and she pulled her hand back mildly startled, giving him a guilty look. "What did I just say?"

"Well, Sir, you said don't touch anything ELSE. I thought, it might be useful to further analyze the weapon. We've been looking for something like this, and now that I know where the button that activates it is located, it should be safe," she reasoned and he nodded.

"Fine, just don't shoot anybody else… or yourself for that matter." With those words he limped outside, followed by a highly amused Daniel. Sam watched them leave, a sense of guilt spreading though her.

It had been stupid of her to just examine the weapon without any matters of precaution. Letting curiosity get the better of her was a rookie mistake that could easily get them in trouble. She could have killed Jack – or worse, killed them all with neglectful behavior like that.

Carefully, she picked up the weapon and packed it into one of the boxes that she had brought; making sure that it was secured and wouldn't accidentally go off.

After about 10 minutes, she walked out of the chamber, carefully looking around for Jack, but she only saw Daniel working on the inscription again.

"Where is he?" she asked, and Daniel turned around.

"Jack? He's sitting on one of the rocks outside."

"Is he mad?" Sam asked with a wince and Daniel chuckled.

"No… I think his pride took a little blow, but he'll get over it. Don't worry."

"I better check up on him..."

Sam walked along the small hallway that led out of the complex, and as soon as she was standing in the bright sunlight, with the wide, almost serene landscape lying in front of her, she saw Jack, sitting on one of the rocks, as Daniel had said.

She approached him hesitantly, and he looked up at her. "You know, Carter… I thought we were past the phase where you wanted to shoot me." His wry comment, a reference to what had happened that night in the bar and their strained relationship afterwards, totally put her off, and when she saw his smirk, she exhaled relieved, unable to suppress her soft laughter.

He wasn't mad.

"Sorry Sir," she said softly after a moment. "I don't know how that happened. Is it still hurting?"

"I'll get over it," he commented and then smiled somewhat reassuringly. "Really. Don't sweat it, it's fine. Just remind me not to get so close to you again when you're examining new technology."

She had to chuckle softly at the remark and sat down next to him for a moment. "I promise to be more careful next time you're around."

"Appreciate that." He nodded with a smirk, realizing that the fact that they could openly joke about her initial anger after the bar incident was probably an indicator that they had moved past those feelings towards an actual friendship. "Don't you have exploring to do in there?"

"Yes… just wanted to see if you were okay, Sir."

"I am… go! Make use of that last hour you have," he said softly, and she smiled at him and started walking towards the entrance of the complex again, before she turned around once more.

"I really am sorry, you know," she said, her voice showing honest regret and his expression became serious for a moment. He could see, that she was really beat up over the incident, and he nodded.

"I know."

"Good." For a moment, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. Sam couldn't help it; she was still feeling drawn to him, in spite of what had happened at O'Malley's.

Despite her best efforts during the past two months to not find him fascinating, or funny, or charming, she couldn't help but feel attracted to him. It was true, he had behaved like a jerk, and at first she had been really angry at him, determined to put all feelings aside and just give her best in the field. But the more they worked together, the more she had come to respect and admire him. He was a really good leader, and she trusted him with her life. She trusted his general judgment and the decisions he made.

So for a moment, when she had seen him lying on the ground in front of her, she had actually thought that he was dead. And the thought had scared her to her very core. It wasn't even the fact that it had been her who might have killed him, just simply the mere possibility that he might be gone. She really liked him a lot more than was good for her, and definitely way more than she should.

He held her eyes softly, some part of him realizing that this was dangerous territory that he was moving on.

But he couldn't really dwell on the thought, because suddenly something changed. Something was off. His entire body was signaling danger; he could feel it in every fiber of his being. His muscles tensed automatically, and, ignoring the remaining, mild pain in his limbs, he started towards her.

"Down!" he yelled a moment before he pounced on her, pulling her down with him. Not one moment too late, because only a split second later, something that looked like a small fireball passed the spot where she had still been standing only a moment ago, and crashed into the wall a few meters away, causing a small explosion. "Take cover!"

He almost dragged her with him behind the rocks, before he grabbed his P90, and carefully peeked over the upper edge of the rock to see where the fire was coming from.

Sam was shaking. She realized how close she had just gotten to getting killed just a moment before, and the thought made her tremble. Up to now they had never run into real trouble or danger, and now that they were, her mind seemed to short-circuit and she couldn't get a grip. She tried to draw her gun, but it slipped out of her trembling fingers and she fought to pick it back up, while Jack was shooting at the people coming towards them.

Her inability to be able to get her emotions back under control increased her panic, and when her fingers wouldn't stop shaking, suddenly she burst out, "I'm sorry, I can't…"

"You okay?" Jack asked when he ducked back down again, resting by her side for a few seconds while they heard weapons being fired at them.

"Y-yes, just… I've never seen weapons like that… where did they come from? Why are they shooting…" she started, and looking at her, he realized instantly what was happening. He grabbed her gun with his one hand and put it firmly in her hand, steadying it with his other.

"Carter, look at me." His voice showed a hint of anger in it that made her head snap up and meet his eyes. "Focus. Okay?" She nodded. "We have to get Daniel out. He is stuck in there, so I need you to remember what you learned during training! On my mark." He counted three seconds down with his fingers. Three seconds. That was all she had to get a grip of herself; and it was all that she needed. The instant, he had counted down to zero, she lifted slightly along with him, and they both started shooting at their attackers.

Sam had never seen anything like them, although she recognized them instantly from the reports that she had read. They were Jaffa warriors, the servants of some self-proclaimed Gods named Goa'uld that the SG teams had occasionally run into in the past.

Since their galaxy was heavily populated by the Aschen, it was rare to run into them. The Aschen had occupied hundreds of planets in their Aschen Confederation, and for centuries they had apparently been engaged in a war against the Goa'uld.

The Aschen were technologically advanced, but the Goa'uld had managed to catch up after a few of them had managed to capture Aschen scientists and take them as hosts. The Aschen strength lay in science and defense. As the resistance had found out on various missions through the Stargate, and their off-world informants, each of their occupied planets had an extensive defense array that could destroy an entire fleet of Goa'uld ships before they had even reached orbit.

After a lot of that technology had become known to the Goa'uld, the two races had reverted into a state of cold war. The Aschen had advanced their defenses, and the few remaining Goa'uld found it too big a risk to attack Aschen occupied worlds. Instead, they focused their interest on unpopulated worlds in order to rebuild their armies and enlarge their territory. It was therefore very rare to run into them – and all the more it shocked Sam when she was faced with them now.

The Jaffa warriors didn't have human heads, at least it seemed that way on the first glance. They heads were covered by massive helmets that looked like birds with glowing red eyes. They were the scariest thing Sam had ever seen, and that fueled her concentration.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Jack finally yelled at her. "Get Daniel! Leave everything else behind! We need to get out of here!"

"Sir, what about our equipment?"

"Leave it!" he repeated, making clear that he was giving her an order.

Sam nodded firmly, signaling that she had understood. When he lifted again and started shooting, she started to run as fast as she could towards the temple entrance, feeling the blast of exploding energy discharges following her along the way. As soon as she was inside she stopped and pressed herself against the wall for two seconds, catching her breath. Then she started to run along the hallway again.

"Daniel!" she yelled, and looked at the archeologist, who had taken cover, and, upon seeing her, started running towards her.

"What's going on out there?"

"We're being attacked, we need to get out of here!" she yelled at him, and he looked around.

"Attacked?! By whom? And… what about our stuff…"

"Leave it!" she yelled and grabbed his arm. "Come on! The colonel is trying to hold them off, but we have to help him."

The instant she said it, a thought occurred to her and she stopped on the spot. Daniel hesitated, stopping too, looking at her in confusion. "Sam?"

"Go!" she yelled, and put her gun in his hand since he himself passionately refused to carry one. "I'll be right there; I have an idea."

With those words she turned and stormed back into the temple, into the chamber that she had been working in before. Frantically she opened the box that she had secured the newly found weapon in and took it back out, weighing it in her hand. She knew were the trigger was, she knew how to activate it, so technically… she pointed it towards the wall and fired. A focused blue energy beam discharged against the wall without doing any damage. That was it. She would be able to handle it.

Sam stormed back out of the chamber and ran along the hallway to the exit where Daniel was still standing.

"I can't get out!" he yelled at her. "They won't stop shooting."

Sam looked at him, concerned and worried and he returned her look with the same expression.

"Okay." She finally decided. "Let's see how far this thing can shoot! Cover me?"

"I'll try." Daniel replied and went to his knees in front of her so that she could fire over his head. The next moment he looked around the corner and started shooting. Sam reacted immediately, and stepped out behind him, firing the weapon.

The first discharge missed, but the second one hit one of the aliens right on. She fired again, and the warrior went down. They retreated back into the safety of the hallway, breathing rapidly.

"One down, two to go," Sam then said, almost cheerfully, and Daniel grimaced before he kneeled down again to look around the corner and empty another magazine at the attackers.

Her next two shootings hit right on and the guards both went down almost at the same time. As soon as the area was clear, she stormed out to the rock where she and Jack had taken cover. Her relief was infinite, when she saw him already running towards them.

"Good job, Carter," he commented breathlessly, when he saw the weapon in her hand. "Now let's get out of here, before more of those Jaffa warriors show up."

"Jack!" Daniel paused. "What about our stuff?"

"Daniel…"

"At least let me get the notebook! It has our Stargate coordinates in them, and we really don't want some Goa'uld to have them!" Daniel argued and Jack gritted his teeth, rolling his eyes.

"Fine! Run! But make it quick, and just the notes, understood? I wanna get away from this position. Carter and I will cover you, just in case!" he ordered, and they retreated back into the safety on the hallway, their eyes fixed on the surroundings, while Daniel stormed into the complex to get his notes.

"You alright?" Jack asked the young woman, and she nodded.

"Yes, fine Sir… sorry I panicked before," she replied, her eyes not ceasing to scan their surroundings for more attackers.

"Don't sweat it. Happened to every soldier I know when they were faced with danger in the field for the first time," he replied. "But if I remember correctly, I ordered you to get Daniel and leave everything behind."

"Sorry Sir, I thought this weapon might prove effective," she replied.

"It did, and it was a good idea. But if you disregard one of my orders again, I'll have your ass for it, understood?"

"Yes Sir!" she replied, well aware that she had disobeyed a direct order and that he had to make sure that she didn't make a habit out of it.

"Daniel!" Jack called in a hushed voice and only a moment later the archeologist came hurrying along the hallway, his notebook pressed against his chest. "Alright! Let's get out of here."

They crouched along the fields towards the group of trees that marked the beginning of the forest area. Jack knew that taking the path they had come on was probably not the wisest choice. If there were more Jaffa warriors around, they would most likely be coming towards them on the path and he hated the thought of running right into their arms.

Finally, when they were in the shadows of the trees, Sam caught up with his step. "Sir, we have to wait another one hour and fifty-six minutes before we can dial the gate," she stated hushedly in a matter-of-fact tone, and he nodded.

"I know." With the dry acknowledgement, his hand went up to his radio. "Morris, come in."

Static.

"Jason!"

No answer. Sam looked at him worried, but his expression didn't change. If he was concerned, or scared, or nervous, there was nothing in his body language that gave those feelings away.

"Alright, we'll walk back to the gate and take cover. Then we wait until we reach our window, understood?"

"What about Jason, Sir?"

"He'll either be there or…" He stopped, not finishing his statement. She knew the implication of what he was – or rather wasn't – saying.

He would either be there, or he was dead. Jason Morris was only a temporary member of their team, and had been tasked with guarding the gate. The fact that he wasn't answering the radio either meant that there were atmospheric disturbances, that he was in the middle of fighting, or that he was dead.

Suddenly a shallow feeling spread through Sam and she felt her hands go numb from the shock. They had never lost anybody, or run into trouble – not since she was on the team and an active member in the field anyway. And now that she was faced with the reality of it, it was a lot more overwhelming than mere battle drills or combat training had been.

"Sir, what if they're guarding the gate and we can't dial out?"

"Carter, don't overthink. We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it," he snapped almost impatiently, and she nodded.

O'Neill almost felt bad for his tone, but he needed her to focus on the present, and what they knew. Overthinking was the last thing that he needed now – for any of them.

Sam knew that he had been part of the program for over a decade. He was experienced, and if there was anybody who knew how to handle situations such as this, it was him. He had run into trouble before, and he had gotten out. There was no need to worry, she calmed herself down.

Sam shot a glance at Daniel, who was walking beside her, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Even he seemed to be used to situations like these. It really couldn't be that bad – it was just the first time it happened to her. She would get used to it.

Suddenly Jack stopped, his hand shooting up and signaling them to take cover. Instantly, they all crouched down in the bushes, not making any kind of sound. Sam's hand moved to the weapon, which she had secured at her belt, ready to use it.

About twenty meters away, an entire battalion of Jaffa warriors passed by. Jack looked back at his teammates, and when he saw that Sam's hand was at her weapon, he shook his head ever so slightly, signaling her not to move. She nodded almost unnoticeably, but her hand remained at the weapon, her mind at full alert.

It took five minutes – the warriors were long out of sight – before O'Neill finally signaled them to slowly follow him. He motioned towards the area that led away from the path, and Sam understood. He was going to lead them in a wide circle back to the Stargate to prevent any further run-ins.

"Sir," she whispered, "Won't this take us considerably longer? We only have about an hour left until our Stargate window."

"More than enough time," he replied confidently in an equally hushed voice. "Come on, move it people."

The way through the forest was a lot more tedious than walking on the path had been. They had to walk around groups of bushes and thorns, and watch their step in order to avoid stumbling on the uneven ground, or making unnecessary sounds by stepping on leaves or branches.

Sam felt like hours passed but Jack O'Neill remained absolutely calm and focused. Therefore she did too. That was something about his skills as a leader that amazed her, now that she was literally seeing him in action. The way he remained focused and absolutely controlled somehow seemed to affect both her and Daniel as well, giving them a certain sense of security. Only now did it dawn on her just how new she actually was to all of this; how much of a rookie they had to consider her to be.

When they finally reached the Stargate, the collective mood dropped. They were still about thirty meters away, when they spotted the five Jaffa warriors who were guarding the gate. Immediately O'Neill signaled them to crouch, and they took cover behind a group of rocks.

"What now?" Daniel asked hushed. "We're outnumbered, and I don't see Morris anywhere."

"Carter." Jack said looking at her firmly. "We'll cover you. Can you try to get closer and take at least three of them out with that weapon of yours?"

He saw the sudden flicker of panic on her face.

Sam froze. He expected her to take three guards out by herself? With five of them shooting at her? The one P90 and one handgun that they had would hardly be enough to fully distract them.

Her emotions were openly displayed on her face and Jack mentally slapped himself for making the suggestion. She was new to this; of course she was neither up to the task, nor should she be the one performing it. She had barely overcome her earlier panic. Sometimes her good performance made him forget that she was not as experienced as the average soldier yet when it came to battle-situations.

"Give me the weapon," he decided, handing her the P90 that he was carrying. "I'll do it. You two cover me."

Sam stared at him with wide-eyes and conflicting emotions inside of her. He didn't think she could do it, she realized. He had seen her fear, and he'd decided she wasn't up to it. This was the moment, Sam realized, that would show how up to the task of being a member in one of the SG teams she really was. She couldn't back down! She wouldn't. She could do this. Everything that she needed to know she had learned in her many training sessions.

"No!" she hushed back, and added a belated 'Sir' when she realized that contradicting him this openly was unacceptable. "I can do it!"

He scanned her face thoroughly, a serious expression on his face, "You sure? This is not the time to prove something or play hero."

"Yes, Sir! Besides, I already know how the weapon works, and with all due respect, it doesn't look like we have enough time for me to give you a lesson." Her eyes were fixed on his, her face showing the determination she felt inside now. Eventually he nodded, touching her shoulder slightly and giving her a gentle push in the direction he wanted her to sneak up on the gate.

"You have five minutes, understood?" He instructed. "If we don't get them all down by then, our window will be gone, and that means retreat!"

"Yes, Sir!" she replied in a hushed voice, and then vanished behind a large bush soundlessly. Daniel looked at his friend worried, shaking his head.

"You should have let me go," he whispered, but Jack hushed him, before he hissed lowly.

"She's the only one who has experience in shooting the weapon."

They both knew that he was right, however, it didn't make them feel any better about the fact that they had just sent the newest member of the team to complete the most dangerous task in their plan.

"She can handle it," Jack whispered to convince Daniel as much as himself. Carefully he looked out from behind the rock, observing as the young woman carefully crouched through the forest and approached the gate. They were positioned behind the gate, and the guards were mostly standing with their back to them, obviously not expecting an attack from the other side.

Sam moved through the forest as quietly as possible, her eyes always shifting between the ground, and the guards. She knew, if one of them turned around now, she would basically be a sitting duck, and she would only have a split second to react. But she also couldn't proceed slower or more carefully, because they needed any second they could get in order to reach their designated Stargate window and return home. Therefore she was tense, her senses sharpened and her mind absolutely concentrated.

Finally, she reached a smaller rock; barely enough to cover her, but it would have to suffice. She was only fifteen meters away from the gate, and didn't dare to go any closer, because then she would practically be out in the open and vulnerable to any attacks. She ducked down and looked back at the spot where she had left O'Neill and Daniel.

From the distance, she could see her commanding officer give her a hand signal that indicated that she was okay where she was. Sam inhaled deeply, trying to calm down. Her heart was beating loud and fast in her ears, and her fingers were trembling slightly. After another two deep breaths, she relaxed slightly.

This wasn't hard. All she had to do was shooting three of the guards from her cover. She had to make sure to hit them, and avoid being hit by their fire. It was a piece of cake. She closed her eyes and inhaled one last time, before she turned around. Using the rock as leverage for her arms, she aimed, shot and hit on first try. The first guard went down, but this had only been the easy task. Now all the other guards were immediately on alert, and turned around to face her position.

Sam fired a second time, mere fractions of a second before they opened fire on her. It had been an impulsive act, and she had felt her hand shaking – but she was lucky. A second guard went down almost instantly.

She threw herself to the ground before the second guard even hit the floor. Not one moment too late. She could feel one of the hot blasts hit the rocky surface where her arms had been just milliseconds before.

Almost simultaneously, Jack and Daniel started to open fire on the remaining three guards, drawing at least some of the fire away from her. But it wasn't enough. At least one of the guards kept his weapon fixated on her position, and effectively prevented her from being able to leave her cover. She had to do something.

Desperately, Sam moved to the other side of the rock, looking at the stump of a massive tree only five meters away. If she was fast enough…

She didn't take time to think, or go over all the possible outcomes, as she had learned during all those years studying science and was so used to doing, before making a decision. She just reacted on instinct, pounced out of her cover, and nearly threw herself behind the tree. She rolled over to the other side, and fired.

The third guard went down. She saw a fourth guard go down from the P90 fire, and didn't hesitate to use her weapon on the fifth.

Suddenly there was an almost deafening silence as all the fighting stopped instantly with the guards lying unconscious on the floor. It took her a moment to realize that it was over, and it was only when her eyes fell on her watch that she realized, that their Stargate window had just begun. She jumped up and stormed out into the open to run towards the dialing module to activate the Stargate.

When she reached it, however, she froze. Jason Morris was lying at her feet, right in front of the dialing device. A large bleeding wound gaped on his stomach that had to originate from one of the staff weapons. The blast had nearly melted his intestines. He must have died instantly, Sam's conscious brain realized. She knew that she couldn't help the young man anymore, but still she went down to her knees to check his pulse, some part of her desperately clinging on to the hope that he might still be alive. Her eyes filled with tears, when her fingers made contact with his cool skin, and her chest felt as if all air was pressed out of it. She couldn't breathe.

He had been her friend! Jason Morris, the young recruit with whom she had always traded sandwiches during her training, had become a good friend of hers and now he was dead. The reality of it was too overwhelming for her.

She couldn't – no didn't want to believe, that the young man could be gone just like that. They had chatted and joked this morning as they had prepared for the mission. Surely she was in a dream – or rather a nightmare.

Sam Carter had never seen a dead body before – let alone the dead body of a friend - and so the slow realization of the finality of death just crushed her. She gasped for air and stumbled backwards, tears streaming down her cheeks, while she desperately tried to hold on to what was left of her control. She lost her balance, her legs just giving way under her, and fell backwards onto the forest floor, her body shaking.

"No! Jason… no!"

She gasped, when O'Neill roughly pulled her up from the floor to her feet, yelling at Daniel to dial the gate, and started dragging her with him.

"Sir!" she protested, trying to free herself from his grip with trembling hands. She needed to get back to Jason. He was her friend. They had to take him with them; they couldn't just leave him behind. They didn't leave people behind!

Jack grabbed her shoulders firmly, shaking her almost roughly until she lifted her teary eyes to him. "Carter, look at me!" When he saw the raw pain and desperation standing in her blue eyes, his features softened, but he insisted firmly, "He's gone. There's nothing we can do about it! But we are alive, and we have to get out of here."

The next second the gate opened, and only an instant later, a new valve of fire targeted at their position hit the area surrounding them. The attackers were still a considerable distance away from them, therefore they were unable to get a fixed target on them, but Jack realized immediately that that would change within a matter of seconds.

He reacted instantly, and pushed Carter towards the gate. She stumbled on the steps that led up to the gate and fell. New valves from the staff weapons hit the area surrounding them, this time a lot more targeted already. Jack looked at Daniel. "Go, I'll cover you! Take Carter…" The next moment he started shooting.

Daniel stumbled towards Sam in a crouched run, pulled her up and threw himself against the event horizon of the gate, dragging the young woman with him. Jack followed only seconds later, feeling the sharp burning pain as a blast from one of the weapons grazed his arm and dematerialized in the event horizon.

The second they were all through, Jack yelled, "Close the gate!" A few of the fireballs hit some of the nearby trees, as they passed through the event horizon with them.

The explosions snapped Sam out of her shock. She was closest to the DHD, and it took her only seconds to jump up, stumbled over to the device and hit the large red button in its center. The event horizon vanished. All became silent. It was an eerie moment, and none of them dared to breathe.

Jack, who was lying on the forest floor, let his head sink back onto the ground. For a few moments, he just stared into the treetops above them. Daniel let his hand with the weapon sink, completely exhausted. And Sam just slid down the DHD on shaky legs and went to her knees leaning against it. Her mind was completely empty and void of all emotion as she tried to make sense of the rapid happenings of the past five minutes.

After a moment, Jack sat up. "Alright, people, back to camp." His voice was gruff, but he went to Carter and held his hand out to help her up. When she got up she noticed the red spot on his arm, where his uniform was burnt away.

"Sir, you were hit," she stated matter-of-factly, her eyes shooting up to meet his for a moment.

"Just a flesh-wound," he said dismissively, and then turned around to walk back to camp. Sam looked at Daniel who slowly got up now, moaning slightly, since every part of his body was hurting.

"Don't take it personally," the archeologist said with a wince to Sam when he passed her by to follow Jack. "He takes it hard when he loses people under his command, but he's not really somebody to talk about those feelings."

Sam watched him leave and stared at the dead ring of the Stargate for a moment. She felt odd, completely exhausted and empty. And for some reason she couldn't get her mind to concentrate. Slowly, she turned around and felt like she was sleepwalking as she followed her teammates back to camp. Her weapon was still firmly clutched in her hand while her mind was trying to grasp the fact that they had made it back home. They were out of danger. And Jason Morris, a member of their resistance cell and a good friend of hers had died.

_**Next Chapter will follow on Thursday**_

_**A/N:** Alright, turning away from the romance again for the sake of character development and more info about the background story. _

_Also, in the beginning, I wanted to add a bit of comedy, with Sam accidentally shooting Jack (it's not like he didn't deserve it… ;) )._

_At this point, let me take a minute to mourn Jason Morris. I know, he didn't make many appearances, but somehow, when I wrote his death here, I had tears in my eyes. Originally, it was a completely new character who died – until in a revision I realized, that the reader doesn't feel Sam's loss since they had never seen this character before. So I decided to make that character Jason Morris instead – who was one of the first friends that she made during her training. T.T Is it ridiculous to feel so sad about writing the death of a minor character?_

_Also, I have to admit, that this story originally started out as a romance, and the decision to turn it into more than that came later on when I realized how much potential for stories this new universe held. Therefore I feel like I am doing a dance on a very fine line between romance and adventure parts, while I somehow try to interweave the two. _

_But it has also become somewhat of a fluid process, and I find myself adding more and more conversations, scenes or even chapters as a reaction to some of your reviews. Often they make me realize: "Hey, I didn't even address that" or "They're right, it wouldn't work that way". That's the disadvantage of having your head in front of a screen all day and immersing yourself so much in a story and the characters. In your mind, everything becomes logical – even the most illogical things. :D_

_Also, at this point, I want to thank __**skarosianlifeform**__ for his (her?) messages. __Without them, I wouldn't even have considered the possibility of a universe which is not only different in details, but in one major point: the Goa'uld are not the dominant species in the galaxy. I thought a lot about what you wrote to me, and I thought: why not? Why did I automatically assume that nothing else had been changed by the Aschen presence. I will get into all of those differences in a later chapter – which I think you will all like very much. _

_For now, however, it is not necessary to delve this deeply into the details of thise vast new universe, because the aim of the protagonists is to fight the Aschen occupation on Earth. And as Sam Carter learns more about the situation of the galaxy, so will the readers. ;) So please be patient and stay with me. _

_Also, I lengthened the update times a little bit. There will be two updates a week, but at the moment I am rewriting and adding chapters very close to what I am publishing, and I want to have enough time to revise them without having to make you wait forever for an update. _

_**And now it's Review Response Time! **_

_**A question that I want to address real quick...**_

…_since it kept coming up in reviews. People seem to think that just knowing that Sam shares the same last name as Jacob Carter, Jack should automatically know that she is his daughter, or at least suspect it. _

_I don't know where that is coming from. There are still more than 1 millions of humans living on Earth. With the way that humanity declined during the past 800 years, only certain family names survived – and the number of names is bound to become less and less. Since the gifted-trait is passed down genetically (some people having a genetic mutation that makes them immune to the effects of the Aschen serums), it would be reasonable to assume, that only a limited number of last names still exist on Earth. And the names that do exist keep repeating. _

_From the way I have described the breeding system, it should be clear that families usually have more than one or two children. Sam has three brothers – meaning Jacob has four children, and he only didn't have more because Sam's mother killed herself. _

_Most families will probably have 8, 9 or even 10 children, especially the very career-driven males. So the last names would be passed down to all of those children. And the system as it is has existed for hundreds of years. _

_There are a lot of Carters on Earth… all of which are probably in some way related to Sam; be it second, third, fourth, fifth or whatever cousins. It isn't reasonable to immediately reach the conclusion that Sam is Jacob Carter's daughter, knowing that is it? (Correct me if I am wrong, please! Sometimes I get so woven into the story, that I don't see the wood for the trees. . )_

_**Saissa**: Yes, I know, Jack does come over as a bit of an ass, doesn't he? ;) Don't forget, however, that this marriage was arranged, and that he himself was opposed to it. Jack did sign the contract eventually, but he did so reluctantly – and he trusted Jacob to take care of the rest. And I don't think I ever stated it (however, I'm now realizing that I probably should later on), but Jack did intend on meeting his wife and getting to know her properly. However, since Jacob didn't even contact him again, he didn't have a chance to do that._

_The way I saw it, Jack was just being – well, Jack. He doesn't care much for writings, long drawn out explanation and that stuff. He cares for action. And he wanted to act as soon as Jacob either confirmed or denied the validity of the contract._

_I know Jack doesn't come over very gentleman-ly here, but I don't think he is. The character on the show has many flaws, and we know that he can be a bit of a jerk at times. It makes him credible. I was really scared of having Jack come over as the knight in shining armor in this story (which would be typical for romances). I don't want that. I want him to be flawed… ;)_

_**mmkbrook:** See the passage on that a bit up, please. Tell me, if that makes sense to you or not. I already made a note to weave all that into the story, since I realized through the reviews, that, although I have all that in my head, I don't tell it to the readers. I'll have to do that. ;)_

_They will get together at some point, but it's going to be half-way until the end of the story. Sam first needs to realize that it is what she wants, and that falling for Jack and relying on him doesn't take away her strength and freedom… I'll get to that very soon. ;)_

_**sammie77a, EvilTheLast, ALIMOO1971**: Thank you so much for your reviews, I am really glad you are still reading and that you still like it._

_**jforg:** I am not sure I understood your review correctly. Are you saying that you don't like the UST between Sam and Jack, or that there isn't any that you can perceive? *confused*_

_I am glad that you are enjoying the story however! Please tell me what you don't like, I am very interested in hearing it. Often it alerts me to things which I completely got wrong on the page._

_**vcm:** How about some SPOILER-Sheppard-SPOILER? ;) Oh, yeah… I'll go there. BUT I am not a Sam/Sheppard shipper, so don't get your hopes up for anything juicy. He's merely a means to an end (namely, explore Jack's jealous side) for me. :D And he's a good guy, I like the character. And I didn't want to have O'Neill and Sheppard have to duel each other or something… that would be just weird._

_**avonleashores:** Damn right… why did we love shows like Stargate, The X-Files, etc.? Because there was 8 or 9 years of UST that was nearly killing us. But it also kept us coming back for more every week. I am shamelessly using that for my own purposes now. ;) Muwahaha…._

_Don't worry though, Sam and Jack getting together isn't that far away._

_Also though, Jack doesn't have the contract. Jacob took the paper to hand it into the Aschen government, remember? Their world is a little bit different from ours – but I will get to that bit by bit. It would be too overwhelming to dump it on the readers all at once._

_And rest assured, Jacob will make an appearance very soon. There are only a few more chapters to go before they'll know that they are married._

_**erinn80:** LOL! Yes, technically, Sam is married. However, in her book, she didn't agree to the marriage, therefore, to her, it is not valid. All of that will be addressed very soon._

_Yes, somehow, I managed to turn Sam into that "reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside"-feminist in this one as well. ;)_

_**Yol:** Thank you for the nice compliment. There will indeed be lots of plot to work with, especially after they both know that they are married. I am still revising the parts of that to get it absolutely right, and I am so happy that people enjoy this story so much. :)_

_**Channach:** Whoa… LOL! Please don't let this story be responsible for a fight between you and your husband! ;D_

_While I do have the entire concept done, I am still in the process of revising and editing the story. Also, this story does more and more become a fluent process, because I find myself adding a lot of things in response to reviews, as I have stated above. So the story will probably only be finalized after I have posted the very last chapter._

_I accept your compromise however. Wait another 5 chapters (might be 6 or 7 depending on my additions .) and you'll have what you want. :D_

_**esmejasper:** Oh, chapter 13 owed a lot to your revisions though! I don't know why I didn't like it so much. I guess, I thought that Sam would come over as weak and whiny and girly, being all infatuated with a guy after a short make-out session. She is still in the process of growing and I really didn't want the story to become all dramatic and romance-y and fluffy this early._

_But, as you said, it was important to address their feelings and make clear that they both very much like each other. And also this chapter offered the great opportunity to work out the differences between them in how they address their own feelings. (While Sam chats with Janet and confides in her, Jack only opens up very reluctantly.)_

_**dpdp:** Yes, it was important for me to keep Sam in character. She is very purpose-driven, and while she might stumble occasionally, she never gives up on it. It also served to show how much Sam matures over those experiences. She learns to focus on what is important to her, and just get over the other things that prove to be minor setbacks. It is what will turn her into an excellent fighter throughout this story._

_**louisa78:** Oh, you shall have angst. Lots of it… ;) But I promise you here and now that there will be a very sweet, borderline epic happy ending where their romance is concerned. :)_

_**Sequinn:** Glad you thought so. I was working hard on that comment, because on the one hand I didn't want her to come over as bitchy, but on the other hand, I figured she should stand her ground. ;)_

_**napa2010:** Yeah… hate/love describes it quite accurately, I think. ;) I am happy you like it, and I hope you keep reading til the end._

_**Jackina:** Hehe! I am so happy I added that Stargate scene. It was actually only about two weeks ago. Before I didn't have that. And then one of the reviewers (was that you?) mentioned, that they couldn't wait for Sam to see the Stargate for the first time._

_It was only then that I realized: "Damn, that's right! I didn't even write that!" ;) That's the beauty about this online writing experience!_

_**Anisette22:** Wow, thank you so much! I am actually a little bit behind on posting the chapters on my site. Trying to catch up with that now! I hope you'll keep enjoying it! There are many chapters ahead still. I just expanded the story until chapter 42… so… LOOONG road ahead still._

**_Boy, I always feel like I forgot somebody in these review responses. :( If that is the case, please don't feel insulted, it is really not done on purpose! I appreciate the time you all take to write your criticism, praise, or questions. _**


	16. Chapter 15 - Alive

_**A/N:**__ Thanks to __**esmejasper**__ for correcting all the grammar and spelling flaws and helping with style! And thanks to Channach for her plot-betaing and offering constructive criticism!_

_**Announcement: **__I revised chapter 12 (Seduce Me), after FunFlirtyFlute pointed out some flaws. Mainly they were stylistic changes, but I also completely altered a conversation near the beginning where Vala and Janet informed Sam, that Mitchell and McKay are in love with her. Took Mitchell out of the equasion. It was a dumb conversation, and it bugged me – and FunFlirtyFlute confirmed my suspicions about Sam coming over as a Mary Sue in this one. So thanks a lot for that! :)_

**Chapter 15 – Alive**

When Sam's eyes fluttered open, she immediately recognized the roof of the infirmary tent, and the memories of what had happened on the planet and on their last mission flooded her mind with a vengeance.

Jason was dead; gone forever. She would never be able to joke with him again, or trade food with him, or just listen to one of his stories.

She had to swallow hard and concentrated on breathing evenly to prevent herself from breaking down in tears. The pain was so overwhelming, that she had no idea how she should ever be able to handle it – or live with the very likely possibility that Jason would not be the last friend that she lost.

They had just left him behind on that planet while they were alive. It didn't seem fair that they had made it out when he hadn't been so lucky. A wave of guilt washed through her, although consciously, she knew that she couldn't have prevented his death; and that it was irrational to believe that she should have stayed behind to be killed as well. However, leaving his body behind and being the one who was still alive felt to her as if she had betrayed him.

When she had started her training, and even throughout her mission briefings, she had thought that she would be able to handle the pain that came with it. After all, the mere chance that she might lose a friend had been a somewhat distant threat. Some part of her hadn't grasped the impending danger of it until it had actually happened. At that very moment, she had felt that it was more painful that she could have ever imagined. The emotional agony only seemed to get worse now that she was away from the planet – out of danger. It was completely irrational – and therefore completely beyond her understanding.

Tears made their way down her cheeks, and her breath started to become a little faster. Sam realized that she was at the verge of a panic attack, and tried to sit up so as to be better able to calm down. It was only when she bumped her foot against the side of the bed, that she realized that her ankle was hurting.

"Ouch." In confusion she looked down at her bandaged ankle, the physical pain distracting her mind and chasing the images of Jason's dead body away momentarily. "What happened to my foot?"

"Sprained your ankle," a familiar voice said next to her, and her head shot around. Only now did she realize that she wasn't alone. Jack O'Neill was lying on the field bed next to hers, his arm all bandaged up. She wiped the back of her hand over her cheeks quickly to dry the tears that were running down them, but she knew that she failed miserably in hiding the shaken state that she was in.

If Jack noticed her tears - which she was sure he did - he had the decency not to comment on them, for which she was very grateful.

"Hey." He smiled at her, his face expressing mild concern, and Sam smiled back weakly.

"When did this happen? My foot, I mean… I don't even remember walking back to camp from the gate."

"You stumbled in here and pretty much fainted at the entrance." He replied, a combination of amusement and concern flashing across his features. "Gave us quite a scare there for a moment."

"I fainted?" Sam asked back incredulously and sank back down into the soft pillow. She had to close her eyes at the embarrassment that she started to feel at this revelation.

"Shocking, I know," Jack commented wryly, intending to tease her a little bit to get her mind off what had happened. He knew exactly what she was feeling, because he had been there more than once, and it pained him to see her suffer like this. She shouldn't have to feel the pain of losing a friend when she was this young. Not this shortly after her training had ended…

"I fainted?!" Sam repeated and stared up at the tent roof. "Like a little girl?"

Her reaction amused him and Jack couldn't help chuckling before he nodded mock-seriously. "Oh yeah."

"And that's when I sprained my ankle?"

"Actually, according to Janet your ankle was already sprained; you just didn't feel the pain because of the shock you were in."

Sam looked at him unhappily, a soft blush showing in her face. He held her eyes for a moment, amusement twinkling in his, before he became serious.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Carter. You made it back to camp, and that was pretty impressive, all things considered. Overall, it was a pretty nice performance for your first real field experience, so don't worry about the fainting. McKay once fainted simply because he hadn't eaten for five hours on a mission, so I'd say you're pretty hard-assed in comparison," he calmed her with a smirk, and she looked at him mildly outraged.

"Sir, did you seriously just compare me to Rodney McKay? He doesn't even have field training!" she complained which just caused another chuckle from him. She turned her head and stared at the ceiling for a moment, letting the events go through her mind again. Their mission had been a very close call, in more than one regard. Jason had been killed, but more importantly, she had also come very close to dying – she owed her life to Jack.

And he had almost been killed too, she remembered suddenly, the image of the bleeding wound on his upper arm returning into her conscious mind. She turned her head to study him in momentary concern.

"How's the arm, Sir?"

"Ah, I've been through worse. Just a flesh wound," he downplayed his injury wryly, and when he saw her eyebrows furrowed worriedly, his voice took on a more serious tone. "It'll only take a few days to heal, the doc says."

"Why are you in sickbay then?" Sam asked mockingly, and he looked at her with a mock-grumpy expression on his face.

"Because somebody shot me with an alien energy weapon and the doc wants to keep an eye on me for two days to make sure it didn't cause any permanent nerve damage."

She paled at his words, and winced slightly. "Whoops."

"You'll be stuck here with me – funny how things come back to bite you in the six, isn't it?"

She couldn't help but laugh softly at this comment. They both became silent for a long time, each of them just staring at the tent roof lost in their own thoughts. Sam slowly felt the tears dry in her eyes and on her cheeks, and the weight lifted from her chest. It felt good not to be alone.

Jack finally turned on his side to be able to look at her. "Carter, I meant it. Your performance was impressive. If you hadn't taken those last guards out, we might not have made it back alive."

"Jason didn't." Her voice was soft when she was speaking the name of their dead teammate now. Somehow, it felt like saying it out loud now made it even more real, and she had to fight to keep her voice from shaking.

With everything that she had seen about Jack O'Neill's behavior, she knew that he had to have seen a lot more and probably a lot worse than what had happened on their mission and she really didn't want to give him the impression that she was a fragile little girl who couldn't handle the reality of the field. Therefore, she desperately tried to keep it together.

"There was nothing we could do about that. He was already dead when we got there. He must have been killed when the first guards stepped through that gate, and it must have happened quickly, otherwise he would have warned us over the radio." Jack offered gently, but with a certain distinct determination in his voice.

He knew exactly what kind of thoughts were going through her mind. Not because she did a bad job at trying to hide it, but simply because he remembered very vividly the first time that he had lost a friend in the field – and the devastation that came with the realization that driving the Aschen off their planet came with huge personal sacrifices.

Charles Kawalsky had been his best friend, ever since they had trained together. And then, one day, on a routine mission shortly after Jack had been assigned to the same team that he was on, he had died in an unexpected attack off-world, along with a second team member.

By that point, Jack had already worked for the resistance for over a year in solo missions on-world, and had just decided to go back into regular field work.

The death of his friend had devastated him, and it had brought into sharp relief him to the burden of working in a team. It was one thing to live with the possibility that he himself might die on the next mission – but it was a completely different issue to live with the death of teammates; people who were close to him.

That was one of the reasons why he had always been reluctant to start a relationship with somebody at camp, and it was what kept him from allowing people to get too close to him. The situation was easier to handle and the losses were easier to live with if he kept a certain distance.

He knew (mainly because Daniel had told him on more than one occasion), that this was one of the reasons why he often came over as insensitive, but he didn't care. Especially since he had started working as the camp commander, where he had to make decisions that could cost people under his command their lives, he had learned that he needed this barrier in order to not go insane over the feelings of guilt and grief that accompanied every loss.

However, for some reason, he didn't want the young woman to become the same way. He didn't want the burden of the field to numb her to the point where she became cold and insensitive.

And he also knew that this fact alone meant that he had let his barrier down for her. It wasn't a good thing, and he knew as the camp commander he shouldn't feel that the loss of certain people would strike him worse than others. However, when he looked into the deep blue eyes of Sam Carter now, a small part of him, that he desperately tried to block away, could not help but feel incredibly relieved that it had not been she who had died. Even the notion made him feel guilty. As the camp commander he should not have favorites. He should not feel like this.

"We just left him there, on that planet. His relatives won't get to bury him; they won't even know what happened to him," Sam muttered softly, more to herself, and swallowed hard.

Jack remained silent. There was really not much he could say in this situation that would make her feel better. He was certain that she would come to terms with it eventually. Everybody who made it through training usually did. But it would probably take her a while, and he knew he had to give her that time. It was part of the learning curve.

All the more surprised was he, when she suddenly turned her body onto her side to face him, her cheeks resting on her hands while her eyes locked with his. "Sir… does it ever get easier?" He could see that she was fighting new tears.

"What?" he inquired, holding her eyes in a deep, intense look.

"Losing people under your command… losing friends?"

He realized that this was a question that was deeply emotional; one of the type that he usually tried to avoid because they made him feel uncomfortable. With her, it was different however. He didn't feel reluctant to discuss the subject with her.

"Never," he replied truthfully. His eyes stayed locked with hers while they fell silent for a moment, before he offered, "But you'll learn handle it differently. Over time, you'll almost get used to it and a part of you will live with the expectation that every time you step through that gate, a friend of yours might end up not coming back."

She closed her eyes, and shook her head. "That's worse than the thought of losing my own life."

"It is," he affirmed. "But it gets easier if you focus on the reason for why we're risking our lives and those of our friends out there." He was still watching her, when she now opened her eyes again at his words. "Jason Morris died in his fight to rid our home world of the Aschen occupation. And someday, he will be remembered by the general public as a hero. I know that doesn't count for much now, but…"

"Actually, it does help a bit," Sam interrupted him and smiled sadly. "Thank you... Sir." Her voice was almost a whisper now, and he just held her eyes without saying anything anymore.

His presence made her feel safe for some reason. Maybe it was just the fact that she knew he had been through the same. She had lost a friend; he had lost a member of his team. They shared the same pain, and somehow that made her feel not as lonely. It felt to her like she could spend forever just looking into his eyes without speaking; studying his facial features with the wrinkles that were starting to show through around his eyes; admiring the graying hair at his temples…

"And how are we feeling?"

Janet's cheerful voice interrupted their conversation – or rather the lack thereof - and thereby broke the spell that had been slowly building between them. Sam turned back onto her back to look at her friend who had just entered the tent now. "I see sleeping beauty is awake."

The young woman cringed at that nickname. There was something that would stick. Janet smiled and sat down at the end of her bed.

"How are you feeling, Sam?"

"Good, actually. Except that my ankle is hurting a little," Sam replied.

"Well, I'm not surprised, you sprained it pretty badly. It was amazing that you were even able to walk in here standing upright. As a matter of fact it was not the best idea, considering that it probably made your injury worse," she commented while she picked up Sam's file from a little desk at the wall, and took the ball pen that was fastened in the right chest pocket of her white coat. "It will take a while until you will be able to walk, and I want you to take it easy for at least two weeks. No fighting or training of any kind. It was a miracle that you got out alive." She sat down at the side of Sam's bed and took her wrist to feel her pulse. "Any feelings of anxiety or panic?"

Sam swallowed and then shook her head. "Nothing I can't handle."

"You were in a state of shock," Janet explained carefully. "I gave you a mild sedative, so that you would be able to rest. I can give you more, if you have trouble sleeping."

"That is not necessary." Sam's voice was firm. "I am feeling alright."

"Okay. I still want you to take it easy the next few days, just to be sure."

Janet got back up and threw a side-glance at Jack, while she put Sam's file back down. Then she walked over to the camp commander.

"How's the shoulder?" she then inquired.

"Fine," he replied with a somewhat grumpy edge to his voice, and she nodded, with an ironic little 'mmmhmm' sound.

"You can complain all you want; you'll stay here until at least tomorrow."

"Doc."

"End of discussion, colonel. You may be commander of this camp, but in this tent, I am the one in charge." Janet pulled out the little flashlight, checking his eyes for unusual reactions. "Any problems besides the arm? Nausea, headache, dizziness?"

"None," he replied, and she nodded.

"Good. So far it looks like the weapon didn't do any permanent damage…" When he took a breath to say something, she quickly added with warningly raised eyebrows, "…but you're still staying here until tomorrow."

He surrendered, even though it was clear he did so very reluctantly.

"I'll allow McKay and Sheppard in to report to you, as long as you don't get up. They're waiting outside," Janet finally smiled yieldingly and put his file back to where it belonged.

Only a few moments later, John Sheppard and Rodney McKay entered the tent.

"Hey Carter," Sheppard said in a light, teasing tone, his eyes scanning the young woman with visible concern in them. "I hear you used the Colonel for some target practice?"

Jack grimaced at the joke, shooting a grumpy look at the younger soldier. It was an intelligent way of taking Carter's mind off the aspects of their mission that had gone wrong, but really? Did it have to involve that little incident?

"Oh god," Sam moaned. There was another thing that would stick forever. "I know you won't believe me, but it really was an accident."

"Hey, no need to justify yourself," Sheppard continued, and sat down on the bed next to hers, looking at her with eyes that were sparkling with mischief. "I know, Jack can be infuriating at times. Shooting your superior officer – that really takes guts."

"Either that… or stupidity," McKay remarked in his usually annoyed, arrogant tone from the end of her bed. "Every real scientist knows better than to just activate alien technology before knowing what it does."

"Don't listen to him," Sheppard whispered slightly hushed now, "he almost blew up an entire solar system once, because of scientific curiosity and his oversized ego."

McKay rolled his eyes and looked at Sheppard, "It was not an entire solar system, and I had everything under control."

"Rodney… you had four nuclear warheads stuck in prelaunch mode. How much more out of control do things actually have to get for you to admit that you don't have everything under control?" John asked sarcastically, eyeing him with a slightly annoyed side glance. "We were 20 seconds away from being toast."

"Fine…" The scientist admitted with a hint of embarrassment. "Maybe things were getting slightly out of hand, but the point is, I did get it under control. And I did not shoot you," he added with a look at Sam, clearly trying to make a dig at her. Sheppard grinned at Sam.

"Only because he didn't dare to." He said, winking at her flirtatiously, and Sam had to laugh softly.

"Okay, enough now, Sheppard. Didn't you want to make a report?" Jack interrupted him grumpily, partly annoyed by the subject, but more importantly it really bothered him how obviously John Sheppard was flirting with Carter. He knew he didn't have any right to feel that way, not in the light of his marriage and after turning her down, but he couldn't help it. It bothered him, and the thought that she might be attracted to the soldier really pained him.

"Okay, so…" McKay started. "I was having a closer look at the lightning gun and…"

"The lightning gun?" Sheppard interrupted with a hint of disbelief in his voice, and McKay looked at him slightly put off for a moment.

"Yes." When he saw the expression of incredulity on the man's face, he rolled his eyes. "It's a gun, that shoots lightning. A lightning gun."

"I thought we agreed on calling it a phazer." Sheppard countered and McKay laughed ironically.

"No, that's what you called it. Actually, lightning gun is a lot more precise for the mechanism with which…"

"Kids!" Jack interrupted from his bed with an undertone that conveyed his annoyance. "Can we postpone the name discussion and get down to the actual point?" The comment prompted Sam to try to suppress a little smile – an attempt which she failed at miserably.

"Well, as it turns out the… weapon," McKay inserted with a little sidelong glance at Sheppard, "…is exactly what Sam believed it to be. A weapon, that shoots a single, focused beam of electric energy at its target. That in turn causes something comparable to a short circuit in the human body's nerve-system. It works similarly on objects. We actually managed to open an electric lock mechanism with it. The human equivalent of that is extreme pain, as you have experienced. Interestingly, the effect seems to increase if you shoot more often. I would advise to never shoot more than once at a human being, unless you want to kill them."

"Can we build more of them?" Jack asked now, sitting up slightly to lean his back against the wall behind him.

"In short? No." McKay replied. "The technology is way too advanced for us to recreate it with the materials we have here. At this point we're not even exactly sure about how it works; just about what it does."

"Okay, so recreating it is out of the question," Jack summed up. "We'll just have to see if we can find or acquire more of them off-world over time."

"Concerning that…" Sam interjected now and sat up slightly. "Sir, I was thinking. Given what happened on the last mission, or more importantly the problem of the Aschen Stargate window that we have to adhere to, why don't we turn one of the planets that we have already been to into an off-world base? Sort of like an emergency evacuation address. We wouldn't have to adhere to the strict schedule anymore, at least not if we ran into trouble off-world."

Rodney McKay rolled his eyes. "It has all been done before."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked in confusion, upon which Rodney McKay let out an exasperated sigh.

"Didn't you receive all of the old reports to work through?"

"Rodney," John Sheppard warned the scientist. "Those are thousands of reports about missions, technology, intel about the Aschen, and so on. Cut her some slack, will you?"

Jack looked at Sam gently. "It has been done before. More than once actually. Back when the Stargate missions first started, one of the first efforts was to establish an off-world base. Initially, the plan was even to move the entire core of the resistance off-world."

"What went wrong?" the young woman asked with growing interest.

"Well…" Jack started. "A couple of things actually."

Jack O'Neill and John Sheppard started to explain the details of why off-world bases had failed in the past.

Even though their galaxy was mainly divided between the Aschen and the few remaining Goa'uld system lords, there were a number of uninhabited planets that were, at least technically speaking, inhabitable as far as environmental conditions were concerned.

Whereas the Aschen concentrated their main efforts on colonizing already populated worlds to take over the existing infrastructure and farming grounds, the Goa'uld focused their interest on any uninhabited planets to build up their armies and followers.

In the past, three off-world bases had been destroyed in armed conflicts with Jaffa warriors, who had invaded the uninhabited worlds and claimed them for a Goa'uld system lord, and every time there had been a huge number of casualties on the side of the resistance. Jack himself had been on the last of the off-world bases when it had happened, and he had barely gotten out alive. Only five out of twenty-three people stationed at the last off-world base had managed to escape.

After those three attempts at establishing off-world bases, all of which had severely diminished the numbers of the resistance, it had been agreed upon that the death count was not worth it. The attempts to establish a resistance station off world had cost twice as many lives as the Stargate operations itself had in all these years. Consequently, the idea had been put to rest permanently. The resistance was not powerful enough to defend an off-world base against the Goa'uld and fight the Aschen on their home world at the same time, thus they had to work with what little they had.

"Sir, couldn't we at least determine one of the planets as a safety address? We wouldn't have to have a base there, just a place that we had deemed safe that we could gate into if we got in trouble. From there we could safely gate back home," Sam interjected thoughtfully. "Without an established base, there would be no evidence that we are using the planet for that purpose. And we also wouldn't need forces to defend it."

"That's actually not a bad idea, Jack." Sheppard interjected. "We could choose a planet, and regularly scan it for Goa'uld activity."

"We'll have to talk about that in the next strategy meeting," Jack nodded. "It would at least lower the chances of losing teams off-world because of the Stargate window."

"Why don't we use one of the inhabited planets that we have trade agreements with as a base?" Sam further suggested. "Since the Goa'uld are solely scouting uninhabited planets because they don't want to risk an open war against the Aschen, we shouldn't run into them."

"True," Sheppard nodded. "The problem is just that most of those planets belong to the Aschen Confederation."

Sam's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that the people with whom we trade food or clothes in exchange for weapons or technology are…"

"Aschen." Jack completed her sentence with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Beautiful irony, isn't it?" Sam had to smile softly at his wry comment and his lips twitched into a small smirk. "Of course, usually it is Aschen occupied worlds, so it is not the Aschen directly that we trade with. Still, we don't tell them that we are from an Aschen occupied world, using the technology to fight their benefactors. And we're very careful not to make contact with the Aschen directly, just with the inhabitants of planets controlled by them."

"Yes, but aren't the Stargates on those worlds guarded by Aschen?" Sam interjected, and Jack shook his head.

"Surprisingly, no. We have found that on a lot of worlds, the Stargate is not even in an armed facility, but very similar to our Antarctica gate just somewhere on the countryside. And the people there usually have the freedom to use the Stargate to travel from one planet to another."

"How come the Aschen let them do that?" Sam wondered suddenly. "Humans were never allowed to use the gate here on Earth – we're not even allowed to get close to it." She had read in some of the reports that the previous missions had revealed that the Aschen had occupied a considerable amount of space, and up to now she had been under the belief that the inhabitants of all those other worlds had to live under the same restrictions as humans did.

"The reason for that is actually so simple that it is ridiculous," Rodney started, before Sheppard went on.

"In our galaxy, our solar system is located relatively far away from the center. Moreover, Earth is one of the planets that are farthest away from the Aschen home world. As you know, the Aschen have an impressive defense system, but they mainly rely on the Stargate system as a means to travel and transport goods back and forth between their worlds. They have ships, but compared to the Goa'uld, their hyper drives are slow. It would take a lot of time and resources to fight uprisings in those worlds, which are at the outer edge of the Aschen territory. Therefore, they apply stricter rules in those worlds, and the original population is forbidden from using the Stargate. Thereby, they hope to prevent uprisings and revolts," he concluded and then caught the somewhat baffled gaze of McKay. "What? I do listen to your lectures sometimes."

"So you think that Earth's relative position at the outer edge of the galaxy actually works in our favor?" Sam asked in fascination, and McKay nodded.

"That is the theory, yes. Of course, we have never had access to the computer on the Aschen home world that would give us detailed insight into the size of their ship fleet, or exactly how many planets they control. But it fits every observation that we have made so far, and all the intel that we've managed to gather."

"So Earth's position might work in our favor if we actually manage to drive the Aschen off our planet," Sam thought. "If we make it hard enough and manage to somehow set off a revolution, it might cost them too many resources to take Earth back?"

"Eventually, yes." McKay nodded. "Provided that it doesn't take another 300 years for us to succeed, as by then I am sure the Aschen will have upgraded their ships. And probably taken over Goa'uld space all together, which would make them a power in this galaxy that would be impossible to fight – at least not with a population as small as Earth's. Also…"

"Ooookay…" Jack interrupted him. "On that cheerful note, let's move on to another problem, before Rodney manages to completely destroy what's left of our morale. We had to leave all of the equipment on P2X-543. Any chance we can replace that?"

"As it turns out, Jack," Sheppard interjected now, "that actually is a problem. Some of the devices were actually highly sensitive, rather rare scientific machines that will take a while to reacquire. Not to mention the weapons, notes and smaller equipment that got left behind. Unless you want to go back to P2X-543 to get it, we will probably have to do a while without it."

"Great, just what we need, even less to work with," McKay commented grumpily with another eye-rolling. "Can't we go back to the planet as soon as the Jaffa warriors are gone?

Jack shook his head with a pointed stare. "I will not send a team back there any time soon, it's too risky. We already lost one man, and I will not risk losing anyone else. Besides, I think it is highly unlikely that the Jaffa didn't take our equipment as soon as they found it. We don't even know what they were doing there. They could be setting up a base on that planet and we would be walking right into an ambush. Any way we can go around our usual middlemen to get our hands on new weapons and the technology we lost?"

"Not unless you want to go to Washington D.C.," McKay replied, and Jack sat up slightly confused.

"Why? What's in Washington?"

"Well, in the course of the festivities for the 802nd anniversary of the arrival of the Aschen on Earth, they are having the annual Aschen science fair there next month, and for an entire week all the new technology will be presented and on open display." McKay replied.

"And they will have all the things that we need there?"

"Not just the things that we need," McKay replied, "Things we didn't even know existed yet. It is every scientist's paradise. Unfortunately, they only allow selected human officials in, so the general population won't be able to benefit from it. We could find many of the lost devices there however. They don't have weapons but I'm sure, you and John will come up with a few creative ways to acquire new weapons from somewhere else, as always."

"You have to be kidding," Sheppard said, looking at McKay. "Stealing the newest prototypes in the capital of the Aschen government? FROM the Aschen?"

"Well, it's not exactly in the capital, but at the outer edge of Washington," McKay corrected.

"Still, Rodney! It's Aschen central – and a festivity, which will be visited by the highest Aschen officials! We've never been this bold in our operations," Sheppard remarked with a hint of concern in his voice. "I know we need the technology, but is it worth the risk?"

McKay rolled his eyes. "It's a long way to Washington, so I actually didn't expect anybody to actually consider…"

"Washington it is." Jack O'Neill interrupted. "The perfect place to be in the light of the approaching polar night." When he saw the wide-eyed stares of all three, Sheppard, Carter and McKay, resting on him, he shrugged. "What? It was your idea, people. Find a way to make it work, and I will contact the Washington resistance cell to coordinate efforts with them."

_**Next update on Monday – because I need a day off T.T**_

_Alright, this chapter hopefully answered a lot of your questions concerning the practice of the resistance. Don't forget that the resistance has existed for almost 100 years, and the Stargate has been operational for decades – so a lot of things have been tried out and failed. _

_I just don't put all the details into the story at once, because I always feel that it would overdo it. First of all, it would probably be incredibly boring (Chapter 10 – Briefings was pushing it already. ;) ), and also a lot of background info that I have come up with is completely irrelevant for the story. So there would be the distinct possibility of losing focus. _

_Just tell me when you want to know something, and I will work it into the story – if I haven't already done so at a later point. _

_And regarding Jacob: it will be explained! Be patient! And wait for chapter 17, fer cryin' out loud. *channeling Jack there* (^o^)v This story is told from Sam and Jack's perspective mainly – it would be boring if the reader had all of the background info, even though neither of them knows it. I will get there… ^^;_

_**Review Response Time – ah, how I love it! :D**_

_**Saissa**__**:**__ You said it was most unusual for Sam to fall apart like that. But as you said, she is not like the Sam in our universe. She is 'fresh out of training'. This is her first mission where she has to actually fight and experiences the dangers of the field. And it is also where she loses a friend for the first time. _

_Somebody who hasn't experienced that before would fall apart. I think it is human – but what determines a strong person is whether they pick themselves up afterwards and move on, or let them destroy it. _

_I want to show that Sam is a strong person, but in order to do that, I have to work out her weaknesses. And I wanted her to have a vulnerable side too, because that's how she is. EVEN in our universe. Just think of the Cassie scene in the elevator. She did fall apart there a little bit and was willing to sacrifice her own life. She isn't the hardcore emotionless soldier in our universe – and having come just out of training in the Aschen universe, I don't think she would be there._

_**Jforg:**__ Harlequin romances? Oy… well… actually… this is why I labeled this story as first and foremost a romance. Adventure and Romance will interweave, but a lot of angst will come from typical Harlequin romance plots I guess… not sure, I haven't read those in quite a while. You'll have to see for yourself. ;)_

_**Yol**__**:**__ There is more to Sweet Surrender indeed. I have the story down in 6 chapters, but it requires a lot more revision and at the moment I'm focusing on making "Stargate Aschen" the best I can, because it is way more complex. :D_

_**FunFlirtyFlute**__**:**__ I am SOOO sorry, and I assure you, I spent the entire evening of Tuesday wiping out every mention of ‚sexy' in my story that wasn't used in direct speech. (Thank God there weren't that many) T.T I know I often make the mistake of telling instead of showing. I just don't see it anymore, I guess, so I am all the more happy if readers point that out._

_As for your Mary Sue comment, you were right, and I altered the chapter. Please feel free to have a read at it again. Sheppard has to remain in there however – you will see why later on in the story; well, even in this chapter there are little hints of it._

_**dpdp**__**:**__ I hope I conveyed the emotions of death in the field, and losing a friend realistically. I have never been in the field, so I don't know if it is realistic like that._

_**vcm**__**:**__ There will be more tension between them. And there will be chapters which are focusing on adventure. But there will also be a few chapters which focus on them personally and work out their romance or the feelings between them. _

_I have to do both to tie both plots together and bring them to a unifying conclusion. :D_

_**EvilTheLast**__**:**__ Thanks for your review, and I'm glad that you are still reading and enjoying the story! Let me know if you have questions, or don't like something. :)_

_**ALIMOO1971**__**:**__ It was actually meant to be a zat-weapon. :D I know I probably did a poor job at describing it, but I hope this chapter made it a little clearer. _

_**avonleashores**__**:**__ The zat shooting was comedy, wasn't it? I was grinning like crazy when writing it. I love the humor on the Stargate SG-1 show, and how it often results from a situation without being forced. I tried to bring that into the story. Just subtle hints here and there… like the McKAy/Rodney naming discussion in this chapter. Or Jack's subtle hint about "things coming back to bite in the six". It's subtle, but I want to put a little smile on your faces. ^^;_

_I don't think the marriage reveal will be anything anybody expect from what I have read so far. Some people made some sound guesses about Sam's reaction to it, or the situation afterwards, but nobody guessed how it would happen. Although I think the foreshadowing in chapter 17 is pretty strong. Which is nice too – it causes suspense and anticipation. :P_

_**Channach**__**:**__ Do not worry about Sheppard! ;) I promised, that this story would start as Sam/Jack and it will end as Sam/Jack. The in between is occasionally a bit rough, but definitely Sam/Jack through and through. :)_

_**erinn80**__**:**__ I will bring in some more chapters that deal with Jack's past, and there will be somewhere Sam and Jack talk about his past. Sam already knows that Jack's son died in an accident. (Janet told her in their talk the morning after.) But there will be more talks… and scenes, where Sam discovers the layers of Jack's personality: the good and the darker ones. _

_**Sequinn**__**:**__ LOL! Yeah, sometimes I am sitting in front of my screen when I read something and think: Where the hell did I write that? ;) But it also often helps me to realize that I need to further address certain things, or revise chapters in some regard. _

_And sometimes it becomes such a repeated assumption that I have to address it in a little author's note, before people set their mind to something and then feel disappointed. _

_**Catherine:**__ Yes, the suspense is a nice little side effect. But my main motif for them not learning about each other's real identity was, that I needed for them to get to know and LEARN TO RESPECT each other before they learned that they were married. _

_It is a forced marriage, that Sam is opposed to – and Jack had objections as well, even though he agreed to it._

_**louisa78**__**:**__ More expansion of the story coming in this chapter. ;) I hope it makes sense. _

_**Morgauxo**__**: **__That was a very helpful review, because you made me realize, that I needed to address more of the resistance's and galaxy's background information. I hope this chapter answers your question._

_As for Daniel's notebook – he has all kinds of information in there, out of which the origin of them could be deduced. Scribbles, copies of texts that they found, etc. SG-1 is primarily a science team, so it's not unreasonable that he would occasionally take some of his work to other planets; especially when they have been on those planets before and deemed them safe for the time being._

_**mmkbrook**__**: **__Alright… the short answer is YES! ;) You will get that information. But it will follow rather late in the story. So please be patient! I don't want to spoil anything. _

_As for Tim Hanson – he was intended as just a minor side-character. But who know, maybe he will make another appearance. ;) And as for Jonas, the Aschen – I think he will make an appearance again. _

_**skarosianlifeform**__**: **__Thank you! The Aschen-Goa'uld cold war was actually inspired by some oft he comments that you made in your PM. It was those PMs that made me seriously reconsider the universe that I had invented… ;) So please, don't hesitate to point flaws out if you come across them._

_**Jackina**__**: **__I liked Jason Morris too. T.T It broke my heart to kill him. But Sam had to experience the loss of a friend to grow into more of a soldier. She can only do that through experiences – as hard as it is. _

_And Sam shooting Jack accidentally… come on, don't tell me I am the only one who thinks he deserved it a little bit. :P_

_**Tobby B**__**: **__The Aschen only allow divorces in cases where they want to remarry somebody. I don't think I have gotten into that yet, but I will in chapter 17 if I am not mistaken. Jack was about to be remarried – but he went underground to join the resistance and disappeared from their radar before they could do so. It will be explained later on. _

_The Jacob issue will be addressed in the same chapter. And I hope it will be to everybody's satisfaction. _

_I can assure you, there will be no sappily falling into each other's arms. It would be out of character. It won't totally tear them apart either – although it might seem that way initially. There will be sparks (angry sparks), but wherever there are sparks, that also means that there is a flame of passion nearby. ;) (Oy, sappy metaphor right there… I'm gonna stop now.)_

_**hoods007**__**:**__ Thank you very much! You've never commented so far, if I remember correctly, so thank you for reading and I am glad that you like it! :)_

_**Anisette22**__**:**__ Thank you! I am amazed when readers tell me, that they refresh the story ten times a day to see if there was an update, or wait all week for one. It really humbles me to see how much you guys enjoy the story, and how much influence it has on you. *happy tears in eyes* _


	17. Chapter 16 - The Wrong Kind of Right

_Thanks to __**esmejasper **__for her help with grammar and spelling and thanks to __**Channach**__ for plot-betaing the story and pointing out the logical flaws before publishing. ;)_

_Both of them really help a lot with the editing, and I cannot stress enough how lost I was before they started helping! THANK YOU SO MUCH!_

**Chapter 16 – The Wrong Kind of Right**

_3 weeks later_

Sam shivered slightly, and turned up the flame of the Bunsen burner on the table that served as both a source of heat and light. During the past few weeks, it had become significantly colder, since the region of Antarctica was now approaching the time of the polar night. Only a couple more days and the sun would not be seen again for about 3 weeks – not even during the day.

Despite the Aschen weather control system, which had warmed the land near the poles considerably to a point where actual forests would grow, the three-week-absence of the sun returned the cold at least to a certain degree. It would start to snow occasionally, and the temperatures would drop below freezing very soon.

Most of the gate travel had to be paused for this period of time, simply because the electric generators had more malfunctions now that it was colder, and it was simply too risky to send teams through the gate and risk a power outage – which would mean that the teams could not return through the Antarctica gate. Besides, everybody was looking forward to using this time to go home to his or her friends and families.

At least the people who had homes to return to did.

Sam really didn't know where to go. During the past eight months, the resistance camp had become her home; therefore, she had decided to remain at camp. By now, she was beginning to realize though, that Vala's very vivid descriptions of how cold it actually was had not been exaggerated.

Luckily, Sam was scheduled to go up to Washington in a little less than a week, since she had volunteered to be part of the mission to steal some of the technology from the Aschen fair.

During the past three weeks, she had been engaged in the planning of the mission. Since she and Rodney McKay were responsible for choosing the pieces of technology that they were to steal, they had been made a part of the team to plan the mission.

As it had turned out, their cell would only complete one mission: getting into the science fair and choosing the artifacts that they were to steal. Since cell 4 did not have any resources in or around Washington, resistance cell 6 – which was located in the area – would take care of the actual heist. The details as to how that would take place were not discussed; as far as Sam understood it, not even Jack O'Neill knew. Vice versa, resistance cell 6 had no idea as to how they would procure the list of exposition items that they needed to steal.

It was a matter of security to keep the operations as separate as possible. If any of them messed up, only one cell would be in trouble.

The main part of their planning had consisted in how to get into the Aschen fair. A part of Sam was glad, that they did not have to take care of the heist itself. It was one thing for her to go through the Stargate, but she had never actually been involved in any on-world missions. Usually those missions were officially classified as acts of terrorism, and the people carrying them out were considered terrorists.

She was not scared of being publicly condemned, or ashamed of her work for the resistance, but her focus was science and the work with the Stargate. That was where her strength lay; being involved in a heist in Washington D.C. was completely beyond her range of skills.

The young woman shivered, when a wave of icy-cold air hit her from the entrance of the tent. She lifted her head from the paper she was reading to see Jack O'Neill step inside. He shivered, and hurried to close the tent entrance again as best as possible before he brushed the snowflakes off his hair and pulled off his winter jacket.

"Is it still storming out?" Sam asked in amazement, and Jack nodded with a wince.

"Yes, and I don't think it's going to get better any time soon."

Never before in her life had Sam seen snow, and therefore she had been enthusiastic about it during the previous couple of days. She had read about it in history books, and seen pictures of the Pole regions of course, but those impressions did not compare to the actual experience itself.  
However, in the light of the increasing cold and the falling temperatures, her enjoyment of the experience was decreasing rapidly.

The freezing temperatures affected the generators and she and Rodney McKay had had to run out into the freezing cold to repair one of them twice just that morning. According to the scientist, the failures would increase in number during the next weeks.

"Cozy," Jack commented with a look at Sam's Bunsen burner, and she smiled without looking up from the page she was reading.

"Efficient too. Heat and light from the same energy source."

"Ah," he commented and sat down on one of the boxes near the wall looking at her. When he did not say anything, she finally lifted her eyes to look at him curiously.

"Was there anything that you wanted, Sir?"

"I heard you're not going home," he opened, and winced inwardly; so much for being subtle about bringing the subject up.

"No," Sam replied curtly, lowering her head again. She was not willing to discuss the subject – least of all with him, because he did not make a secret out of being curious about where exactly she came from. Aside from that, she was completely immersed in the paper she was studying about the possible influence of solar flares on existing or forming wormholes.

"You sure? This is really not a place you'd wanna spend too much time at during polar night, as you have seen during the past couple of days. There is really not much to do – except for constantly repairing the generators. Besides, we really don't get many chances to visit friends or family back home, so you should make use of the time."

"As I have told you, Sir, I have no family left," Sam reminded him curtly, and then waved around her desk. "I want to use the time to work through the literature requirements at university. McKay actually compiled a list of the basic works that are required at every university, so I want to try and catch up with the other scientists," she explained.

"Carter…" Jack started, drawling her name slightly, "As far as I'm concerned, you're already the smartest scientist I know, so just give it a rest, will ya?"

She chuckled at that comment, but didn't look like she was going to give in.

He was far from giving up yet. "Come on, you won't even be able to go swimming anymore in the mornings, because the lake will be frozen – for over a month!"

That comment made her look up with wide eyes, "How do you know…?"

"I saw you," he confessed with the hint of a smirk. "Every morning, ever since your training ended, you have gone down to the lake to swim 30 rounds."

"Sir, are you following me around?" Sam asked and straightened herself out. She folded her arms and looked at him with a combination of discomfort and mild anger on her face.

"No," he immediately calmed her down. "Actually, I go to the lake myself every morning to fish for an hour or two. I'm usually already there when you arrive, but you have never seen me."

"Fish…" she replied, her expression making clear that she didn't believe a word of what he was saying. "Sir… I don't even think there are fish in that lake!"

"Carter… fishing is not about actually catching fish," he said in a tone as if she had just committed the greatest sacrilege that existed. "It's about the fishing experience. It is very relaxing. You should try it sometime."

"I see…" she replied, and then smiled faintly, "Maybe I will give it a try."

"I could teach you," he offered flirtatiously, and she had to chuckle softly. Inwardly Jack had to admit that his fishing sessions at dawn had become a lot more interesting ever since he had discovered that she was using the early hours to swim there. "I have to admit, though, I look forward to that cute little tank-top number you pull at the lake every morning."

Sam's head shot up to look at him half-outraged, half-embarrassed, and she blushed. She couldn't believe he had actually seen her that close. Since she lacked more appropriate clothing, she had simply used one of the black tank tops and panties as her swimming gear, not expecting anybody else to be down by the lake that early.

"Sir!" she exclaimed in protest and he chuckled, contemplating the possibility of keeping teasing her for a moment, just for the fact that he loved their flirtatious banter and the way she blushed. Then he decided against it, and instead put her out of her misery by going back to his original subject.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to leave with the last group later tonight. I have a little cabin up in the mountains of Middle America, and I'll spend a week there, fishing and… you know… enjoying the landscape."

"With your wife?" Sam inquired with an audible hint of irony in her voice, and Jack winced.

Ouch. Since she still did not know that his wife was not an invention but actually existed, he knew exactly that her question was meant to be a little dig at what she believed had been a lie to get rid of her.

Before he could reply to her rather snide remark however, Sam paled and closed her eyes.

Leaning forward on her hands, she shook her head, an apologetic expression in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sir, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know where that came from. That was out of line."

He held her eyes in the soft light that the Bunsen burner provided. He wasn't mad at her. On the contrary. If anything, her snippiness meant that she was still hurt by how things had turned out after that night. Moreover, if she was still hurt, it meant, that she still cared for him. Softly, he shook his head. "It's okay."

"You were saying, about the landscape?" she asked as an obvious peace offer and Jack chuckled.

"It's summer up there now, and it will be warm and sunny. It is very secluded in a little forest, but there's a pond right behind the cabin, and a lake close by with actual fish in it. You could even swim in it." His smile faded when he added the last part, and his eyes locked with hers.

Jack knew that inviting Sam Carter along was probably one of the worst ideas that he had had in a while; if not the worst one. A week alone with her in his cabin, and nothing to do – sure, what could possibly go wrong there?

"Um…" Sam started, rather awkwardly, her body straightening out so that she could face him now. "Was that an invitation, Sir?"

"Two people, friends if you wish, going on vacation together – there's no problem with that, is there?" he asked, lighter than he felt inside, and she raised her eyebrows, her mouth tugging into a confused little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No… no, Sir, not at all. And I would really love to." She looked down at her desk awkwardly, where books and papers were spread out. "But…"

A small part of her was thrilled by his invitation and she desperately wanted to take him up on it. She knew, however, that it was a bad idea. Especially because everything in her wanted to just throw caution in the wind and agree to spend the week with him, she had to be careful not to allow herself to let her guard down again. There was only one way it could end – and they were both aware of that when she looked back up to meet his eyes now. Just that she was convinced that their motives for wanting this were completely opposite.

After the incident at O'Malley's, Sam had talked to Janet and Vala, and learned that Jack O'Neill was not looking for a relationship. He was looking for adventure, and one-night stands.

Despite of her attraction to him, she knew that she could not agree to that. If she let her guard down with him, she knew having him walk away after one – or seven – nights would break her heart. She was not willing to go there again.

"I can't…" she eventually said quietly, adding a slightly belated "Sir" to bring them back to professional grounds. "I have a lot of work here."

"Take it with you!" Jack offered gently, more and more sure of himself and the invitation. "I'll even help you carry it."

"Sir…" Sam looked at him for a long moment, and then, eventually shook her head softly, "I really can't."

"Sam…" Jack started softly. The reason for her reluctance to accept his invitation was clear to him.

For a brief moment, Jack considered telling her the truth; about everything. After all, he hadn't heard from Jacob in over 8 months, and the chance that his marriage was ever going to be more than a signature on a piece of paper was less than just slim at this point. So nobody could blame him if he moved forward and started a relationship with another woman, could they?

It would only take a few words to explain the situation to Sam Carter, and clear up all misunderstandings between them.

Afterwards, he could take her with him to his cabin and spend seven days together with her – only them in the middle of the wild nature of the Minnesota Mountains.

"Besides, I really need to finish these readings," Sam added eventually. Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and the idea of telling her the truth vanished in the back of his mind. Who knew if she would agree to go with him, even if she knew the truth? Granted, from what Daniel was saying, she had been pretty beat up after O'Malley's, but maybe it had just been her hurt pride.

They had both been drunk after all. Moreover, the way that it had happened pointed more towards the conclusion that she had only been looking for a one-night adventure.

Sam shrugged and looked at the man with a more light-hearted expression on her face than she felt inside. "I was actually looking forward to getting some work done. You just enjoy your vacation, Sir."

"Okay," he finally nodded with a smile. "You sure?"

"Positive, Sir."

"Alright then," he got up from the wooden box that he had been sitting on, and walked around the table to the exit of the tent. "I guess I will see you next week in Washington then."

"Yes, Sir," she smiled, her eyes resting on him softly – or maybe it was just the soft light of the Bunsen burner combined with his imagination that made her glance appear more sensual than usual. "Have fun."

"Yeah sure, ya betcha."

She laughed softly at this enthusiastic, almost boyish reply, and Jack smiled as he left the tent.

_**Next update will follow in 2-3 days…**_

_I know, this was a shorter chapter, mostly designed to further explore Sam and Jack's relationship. I can't help it… I like those little explorations. :D_

_**And it's Review-Response time!**_

_Please keep asking questions, if any pop up, so that I know which ones I still have to answer in the coming chapters. BTW, we're at 42 chapters overall by now, so the story will probably end with about 45-50 chapters… LONG way to go. :D_

_**Guest, **__**EvilTheLast**__: Thanks for reading, and so glad you still like it! If you have questions, or if there is something that you don't like, please don't hesitate to tell me._

_**Saissa**__: LOL! That's right, you wait patiently for Jacob. I hope that all of your answers will be answered in the next chapter. :) _

_And I am glad you liked the further history of the resistance. I am beginning to realize just how complex this universe is, that I created and came up with. It's not easy to weave all of the information into the story so that it makes sense and doesn't overwhelm the reader. I am happy that I apparently succeeded in this chapter. :)_

_**vcm**__: Joint S/J mission in Washington… absolutely – kinda. *points quietly to chapter 17* ;)_

_**Yol**__**: **__Sorry, that you didn't like my McKay… I know that on the show, McKay is usually very flirtatious (unwanted attention) towards Sam, and I really wanted to skip that here. So I have him treat her more like he treated Zelenka in Atlantis. He doesn't want to believe that Sam is as smart as he is (although deep inside he knows she is) and making little digs at her is his way of coping with his own insecurity. Does that make any sense?_

_He's not a bad person… just not a very likable one. ;)_

_**ALIMOO1971**__**:**__ And a matter of fact, yes. Sam will see her dad… ;)_

_**hoods007**__**:**__ Oh, wow… thank you very much. Top 5? O.o That is a very high ranking! I'm speechless that this story has made it up so far, and I will hope that you will continue to like it as much._

_**Channach**__**:**__ Yes, of course you can still post reviews. :D I'm so happy you like it more with every chapter. _

_I was getting worried that I might lose readers the more I delve into the romance._

_**Ann:**__ What do you mean by updated on the main site of fanfiction? I am not sure._

_I recently had to move this story into the M-section, and M-rated fanfiction doesn't come up by default in the filter. (You have to enable M separately, or turn it to all ratings I think.) So it might be that this is why it is not featured on the main site?_

_**Sequinn**__**:**__ If everything happened all at once, it would also be a little overwhelming for readers. Too many details would kill the story, and I hate stories where I have to read through 30 pages of introduction or background story first – so I decided to slowly weave it into the story. _

_It also causes a bit of suspense, because readers wonder about certain things and ask questions, and I can slowly answer the questions as the story progresses._

_That is why I keep saying: Ask your questions… I will try to put the answers into the story. But that way I know what readers are interested in. :) I would hate to leave somebody disappointed, and thinking "Well, she never answered that."_

_**Morgauxo**__**:**__ You're most welcome. Any more questions? Please don't hesitate to ask. :) _

_**mmkbrook**__**:**__ I should probably get a little bit into the Aschen reaction to the resistance, huh? I did hint on that in chapter one, where Sam and her housekeeper Minny talk about the terrorist attacks by the resistance that caused the Aschen to strengthen security in Washington. _

_To be honest, since Sam is in resistance cell 4 – which is mainly engaged with the Stargate and off-world missions – I didn't include much infro about on-world missions. Sam herself doesn't have that information. _

_I will however drop bits and pieces here and there concerned with Aschen reactions or new rules which get implemented. Overall, I would say, yes, the Aschen are aware, but not by how big the resistance has become. And most certainly they are not aware that the resistance has a second Stargate, otherwise they would start raiding Earth and searching everywhere for it. _

_I have the perfect chapter to weave some of that info into, and I will do so… please be patient. :)_

_**louisa78**__**:**__ Chapter 17 is in fact the DC chapter. But it is actually not the chapter where Sam and Jack find out about their marriage. It used to be, but I edited, rewrote and added so many more chapters, that it now is chapter 20. . SORRY! _

_I just wanted to get it right, and I needed the reader to understand Sam's feelings upon hearing about the contract. And for that I had to build their relationship a little more…_

_I really hope that chapter 20 doesn't turn out to be one huge disappointment. I feel it is very in character for the Sam in this story, and any other solution would have been wrong… but we'll see. _

_**Caskettshipr**__: I am so sorry about the loss of your friend. :( It is horrible to lose somebody… and I wanted to capture Sam's feelings like that, because it was a mind-altering experience for her. She realizes there, that her work comes with sacrifices, but she also grows again from the experience. She becomes stronger and matures… I really like my Sam for that._

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma**__**:**__ Oh, it will be fireworks… but probably not in the way that everyone expects. ;)_

_**Aj:**__ The reactions of the rest of the squad? Well… I covered Janet, Daniel and Vala… kinda. I hope that will be enough. ;) And of course Jacob, Sam and Jack…_

_I will absolutely make changes after I have thought about them and see that they make sense. ;) Mostly, people point out flaws, so those I will correct. And often, readers point out that they didn't like something that I had a weird feeling about when writing too. (Like for example the Mitchell thing in chapter 12.) So I will change them when I see fit. _

_Then there are opinions… some people might be of the opinion that Sam should have a baby during the course of the story, others won't (just an example – it hasn't come up). I won't make changes there, because it is essentially impossible to make every reader happy. In order to do that, I would have to write one of those stories that go like "If you wish even A to take place, please proceed to page XYZ, otherwise proceed to ABC". I don't want to go there. ;) These stories are extremely complex to write, and require lots of time._

_I will consider opinions though, and try to find compromises to satisfy the expectations that I have built up within the story. :)_

_Thank you so much everybody for reviewing and reading this story!_


	18. Chapter 17 - Echoes of the Past

_Big thanks to __**esmejasper**__ for beta-reading this chapter for grammar and spelling flaws, and to __**Channach**__ who proof-read it for logical errors and errors in the plot! As always, wonderful job you two! The story wouldn't be the same without you!_

**Chapter 17 – Echoes of the Past**

"I don't know how you're supposed to walk around in this," Sam muttered softly, after she had stumbled for what seemed to her to be the millionth time, with only her arm firmly linked with that of Jack O'Neill preventing her from falling. She was glad that the place wasn't overly crowded, and the people who were present were mostly focusing their attention on the exposition, otherwise she was sure that somebody would have noticed her occasional stumbles.

Jack chuckled, petting her hand, before he replied hushedly, "Only a couple more stands, Carter. Stay strong."

"That's easy for you to say, Sir. You're not stuck in one of these… garments. I hate being a woman," she growled lowly, and he smirked. He bit back a flirtatious comment about how glad he was that she was a woman at the last second.

The truth was that he didn't envy her.

Very few humans were permitted to attend the science fair, and those who were had to present their invitation before they were allowed in. Therefore, the only way for them to gain entry had been to disguise themselves as Aschen. During the past few weeks of meticulous planning they had settled on the cover of Aschen tourists, and had gone to great lengths to acquire some Aschen garments.

It had not been easy. Jack had had to mobilize a number of black market contacts in order to finally reach somebody with access to Aschen clothing, since humans were strictly prohibited from either wearing or owing the traditional Aschen suits.

Whereas the male fashion was relatively comfortable, female Aschen garments were more than a little restrictive; the very slim, long skirts only allowed for minimal movements of the legs, making it impossible for the wearer to move or even run in them. Aside from that, they completely covered almost every part of the body, except for the head.

"I have no idea how they are able to walk around in this – not to mention run," Sam whispered softly to the man next to her, and the corners of his mouth twitched into the hint of a smile.

"I don't think they are, that's the point. Left," he urged her gently towards one of the stands that had scientific devices on display.

They appeared to be a normal Aschen couple, just like one of many others that were present today. The females all looked alike – eerie carbon copies of Sam herself – while they walked with their arms hooked into the ones of their husbands or in small groups of women, chattering and talking. But none of them ever smiled, and Sam had a hard time imitating their dull facial expression.

Jack waited patiently, until the young woman by his side had studied all of the devices. He scanned the exposition items casually with his eyes without really being interested. The entire aim of the operation was to get an overview of the technology and then decide which ones of the pieces the members of resistance cell 6, the cell that was located in Washington, were going to steal.

The involvement of another resistance cell group was the only way to actually pull this heist off, they had concluded after over two weeks of planning and strategy meetings. Since the facilities were heavily guarded twenty-four hours a day, the heist had to take place shortly after the fair had ended and all the pieces of technology had been packed and stored for shipping.

Resistance Cell 6 happened to have a contact in the event committee, who would be able to provide access to the storage facility. Aside from that, they had their base in Washington D.C.'s immediate surroundings, which meant they had the necessary resources and materials for an operation like this. Members of cell 6 would steal the desired pieces of technology, and make sure that they would be shipped down to Antarctica instead of back to their respective research facilities.

It was risky for two resistance cells to cooperate this closely, and this was the first time it had been done to this extent. Usually the cells remained independent, even in operations like this, with only the high-ranking leaders of each cell knowing each other. That procedure made it harder for the Aschen to uncover the entire resistance. Even if a low-ranking member got caught and ignored the no-talking rule, he or she could only give away the info about their cell, but not automatically endanger the entire movement.

Rodney McKay and Vala Maldoran (with her creativity and knack for heists) formed the first team; Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter formed the second one. The two leading scientists were tasked with evaluating the devices and machines, whereas their companions merely served as decoration. Of course, it would have been easier to send Sam and Rodney in by themselves, but since the science fair was extensive and their unauthorized presence came with the risk of being discovered at any given moment, they had decided that it would be safer to send in two teams. Even if one team failed, the second team would still have the chance to complete the mission successfully.

Nobody had asked any questions when they had tried to get in. It was nearly impossible for humans to acquire Aschen clothing; therefore, the idea that humans might disguise themselves as Aschen was so preposterous that it didn't even occur to the Aschen officials and security personnel to demand to see identification documents.

"Seeing something interesting?" Jack talked in a whispered, and the young woman nodded quietly. They would talk about details later on. For now, it was all about getting a general overview and memorizing the names and numbers of the devices. Eventually, Sam stood up straight and pressed his arm gently – a sign for them to move on.

Very slowly, they moved to the next stand, which seemed light-years away to Sam; she was sure she was moving slower than a snail in the garment she was wearing.

"I wonder if there are any Aschen jokes," Jack suddenly interjected wryly when nobody else was in the immediate vicinity, pulling her out of her thoughts. Sam had to chuckle softly at this comment, lowering her head slightly so to not draw attention to herself by publicly displaying her emotion.

"I doubt it, Sir. They are generally a very rigid, grim people – although, I have seen them smile occasionally."

"Oh?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "They smile? That must have been some occasion."

"Actually…" Sam became silent, when they passed by another Aschen couple, who seemed to be engaged in their own conversation without paying attention to them.

Jonas had smiled… quite a few times actually when he had been with her. He had smiled at her jokes, and he had even made her laugh – like a normal human male, although he had been a lot more reserved generally.

Other than that, they had been like a normal human couple – at least so she had always thought. He had displayed the kind of behavior that had never made her doubt that he was actually and sincerely in love with her. It had all been a clever act, as she had bitterly learned in the end. She doubted that anybody would ever be able to understand those almost tender feelings that she had once held for an Aschen man. Especially nobody in their cell would, since everybody seemed to hate the Aschen so passionately. Deep inside her, Sam had to admit, that a part of her was still in love with Jonas – which was probably why she had started to fight the Aschen with such a vengeance.

"Actually?" Jack inquired, when they were out of the hearing distance of other visitors again.

"Well, Sir, I was just thinking about an Aschen man I know. He used to smile a lot… but then again, in retrospect, I can't be quite sure how much of that was fake and what was real. It doesn't really matter anymore either," she responded, her eyes fixed on the next stand. Then suddenly she looked at him with interest in her eyes. "How was she, Sir?"

"Who?" he whispered back slightly confused.

"Your wife?" When she saw his eyebrows raise in surprise and confusion she hurried to clarify. "Janet told me that you were married years ago."

"Ah, I see." He shrugged. "She was okay… she was kind. Even beautiful I guess… It was the same old story. Neither of us really wanted the marriage. I learned that I was gifted at 25, like every other human – long time ago," he joked with reference to his age and Sam smiled.

"Come on Sir, you're not that old," she bantered softly and he winced.

"Not THAT old? Ouch, Carter."

"Um… okay, that sounded better in my head. I actually didn't mean it like that Sir," she whispered hurriedly. He smirked softly and she realized that, as always, he was only teasing her. "What happened after you found out about your test results?"

"Well, not even one week after I learned that I was gifted, I was taken to the Aschen medical center in Washington, and after a lot of testing, they finally presented Sara to me as a perfect match. We didn't share any ancestry, and apparently, our combined DNA was extremely promising. Sara was a quiet woman, just as scared as I was back then. We were informed that we were husband and wife, and they assigned us our first house. You know the drill… there was a fixed schedule for everything: eating, drinking, sleeping, working, even sex…" His face darkened for a moment, and he became quiet when they passed by another couple close enough that they might be able to overhear their hushed conversation.

Eventually, when they were far enough away again, he went on. "I was too young back then to understand the full extent of their control over us and didn't do anything against it. I just tried to comply with the schedule to the best of my abilities. Sara and I tried to get along. I tried to make things as – um – pleasant for her as possible, but she had been in love and engaged to another man before she learned that she was gifted. He wasn't gifted, so the union wasn't recognized officially."

"That is horrible," Sam whispered and Jack nodded.

"It was torture. I tried everything I could to make her happy, but she shut herself off more and more. Our marriage only lasted for a few years. Our son died soon after birth in a hovercraft accident and after that, Sara just disappeared. Nobody ever found out for sure whether she ran away, or committed suicide. They couldn't find her again, and so eventually, the Aschen ministry filed official divorce papers in order to be able to pair me up with another woman. As you might know, they only ever file divorce papers to be able to pair persons up with somebody new. There have to be extenuating circumstances to convince them that the marriage as it is won't produce a promising number of offspring. Sara's disappearance was such a circumstance, and a part of me wants to think that she knew that it was the only way our marriage would be annulled."

"You think she is still alive?" Sam asked softly, and Jack shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know. I hope she is. Despite our unhappy marriage, she was a good person, and I really hope she found her happiness instead of taking her own life."

They became silent again as they passed by a group of four Aschen men, who were apparently engaged in an intense discussion about one of the artifacts.

Eventually, Jack continued, "Before they could pair me up with another woman, I went undercover to join the resistance, and disappeared from their radar. Some years ago, a contact in the ministry managed to get my name off the 'wanted' list." He told her, while softly pulling her towards the next stand. "The 'gifted' system is a despicable system, and I don't think anybody who hasn't been victim of it quite understands the extent to which they humiliate you and take away your liberties."

Sam had become uncharacteristically quiet, and when he glanced at her, he could see a distant expression of sadness on her face.

"It's even worse for women," he offered tentatively, "At least I was allowed to work, I got assigned a well-paid job by the Aschen ministry and received a number of benefits. I would probably be a very rich and influential man if I hadn't decided to leave all that behind."

Sam's expression darkened for a moment, as she replied in a whisper. "Women are merely treated like machines. Their sole duty is to bear children. There is no regard for what they want. They just have a fixed time schedule, are pumped up with hormones and vitamins, and ordered to have sex with their 'husbands', whether they want to do that or not. It's despicable. Frankly, Sir, most gifted men are not very considerate towards their wives. They don't care the least bit about their feelings. They are just after the reward they earn for every successful offspring they father. I wish somebody would do that to them! I really wish that, someday, somebody will treat the Aschen just like they treat us now."

He patted her arm gently and smirked half-amused before he whispered, "Easy, Carter. When we succeed in driving them off this world, I'll make sure to keep a few just so that you can take your revenge."

She smirked softly at this obvious joke. "Don't worry, Sir, I will be quite contended if you will allow me to kick them through the Stargate back to their home world – one by one."

"Permission granted," he nodded amused.

They became silent again, when they reached the next stand. Sam closely inspected the technology that was displayed in front of them on the table, while a larger crowd surrounded them and other Aschen guests looked at the artifacts with interest.

"We're almost through," Jack rasped against the young woman's hair so that only she could hear him. "I can see Rodney and Vala. They're coming towards us from the other side, so they must be through with their half too."

Sam looked up briefly, watching the scientist and her rather mischievous-looking friend walk towards them slowly in a crowd of Aschen people. Of course, McKay would have put all his effort into hurrying, Sam mused. She had to suppress a soft smile when she remembered his competitive attitude just before they had left the pension that they were staying in for the duration of the mission. Vala had made a comment about wanting to get back out as fast as possible, after O'Neill had given her an extensive lecture driving home his insistence that she not steal anything while they were at the exposition.

For some reason, that had led to a bet between the two scientists about whose team would be out faster. As always, Rodney McKay had to make everything into a competition – especially where Sam was concerned.

The young woman was just about to refocus her attention back on the devices on display at the last stand, when she froze. Right behind McKay and Vala was…

No, that couldn't be!

"Oh crap…" she muttered and spun around so that her back was facing the crowd of approaching people. Her rather abrupt movement immediately drew the attention of the Aschen couple next to her, who started to eye her, rather confused by her very un-Aschen behavior.

Sam's breathing was coming rapidly, and she frantically tried to think of a way out of the situation without drawing attention to herself.

Her father, Jacob Carter, was coming directly towards them. It was only a matter of moments until he would undoubtedly see and recognize her. That would be a disaster. He would address her publicly, and ask her what she was doing here, and their entire operation would be endangered. If her father learned that she was involved with the resistance…

Sam was reasonably sure that he would not turn her in; but he would not hesitate to turn in her companions and drag her back home, of that she was certain.

What the hell was her father even doing here? He wasn't interested in science, and even though he did receive official invitations to all of the Aschen events, he had only ever gone if she had wanted to go.

Sam inhaled shakily, trying to remain behind the tall form of her commanding officer. Jack had reacted instantly, when she had turned away so abruptly, and had turned around as well, giving the bypassing Aschen people courteous nods to indicate that everything was okay – although Sam's outbreak of emotion definitely suggested otherwise.

"Carter, what the hell are you doing?" His hushed voice displayed a combination of anger and confusion.

"I just need…" She grabbed his arm forcefully and dragged him, as elegantly as she was capable of in her dress and considering her panic, behind the next stand, out of sight of her father and most of the Aschen guests.

This was a disaster. Sam had considered the remote possibility that she might run into people she knew in Washington. After all, it was the city she had grown up in; but she had expected it to happen outside on the streets, and not at an Aschen science fair that was by invitation only and going on for over a week. What were the chances?

"Carter!" Jack snapped in a hushed voice now. "For crying out loud!"

"Sorry… Sir!" Sam stammered, looking around the corner to observe the people going by. Had her father seen her?

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Jack grabbed her shoulder now firmly, forcing her to look at him, before he hissed warningly, "You are endangering the entire operation."

At that moment, one of the security guards turned around to face them in front of a nearby window. When Jack realized that the man began to scrutinize them suspiciously, he let go of the young woman in front of him and straightened out.

Aschen couples rarely ever touched each other in public, therefore their behavior was more than unusual, and would quite possibly lead to questions by the security guard. Wonderful, Jack thought grumpily. Just what they needed: an identity check by Aschen security forces – which would of course fail since they were not Aschen citizens.

Without a word, Jack grabbed the young woman's upper arm and almost dragged her with him towards an emergency exit door on the other side of the room that was out of sight of the guard. He prayed inwardly, that the door would not be locked…

They were lucky; the door was open. Jack pushed the young woman through the door and closed it behind him. Then he turned around to stare darkly at her.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"S-sorry, Sir… I didn't mean to…"

"You have five seconds to explain to me what that was about," he barked, and Sam began to realize just how badly she had just screwed up.

"I saw someone I know… who knows me!" she clarified, and Jack started muttering a few curses.

"How is that possible?" he then asked, outraged. "You said you were from the West coast, and that you had never been in Washington before. There are almost exclusively Aschen people here."

Right. As far as he was concerned she was from the west, she remembered. With a wince, she closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to tell him the truth without admitting that she had lied to him all this time.

"I'm sure you mixed them up," Jack continued. "Get a grip."

She was certain that it had indeed been her father, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to smack herself for her carelessness. Of course, there was a possibility that he would be here. She herself had accompanied him to a few science lectures at the opera hall that he had been required to visit because they had happened in the course of the Aschen festivities.

This was a disaster.

"I'm really sure I didn't mix him up!" Sam informed her commander urgently. Jack glowered at her .

"Carter…"

"I was in Washington before, Sir," she opened up bluntly after a moment, wincing and closing her eyes at what she knew was about to come now.

"What?!" He was furious now. "Call me nuts, but I could swear, I remember asking everybody explicitly whether they had been to Washington prior to this mission and you said…"

"I know, Sir, I said that I had never been here," she interrupted him, and he pressed his lips together at the implications of her statement as well as the fact that she had interrupted him. "I lied to you…" Sam finally admitted weakly, confirming what he had suspected. But somehow hearing her say it, increased his anger even more. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think it was important.

"You didn't think it was important?" he repeated her statement with an expression of absolute incredulity on his face.

"I know! It was stupid, I should have thought of the possibility..."

"Damn right, Carter, it was stupid!" He snapped back and grabbed her arm to pull her down the stairs so that they could exit the building. He hoped that the lower level door would be open, and that the Aschen guard had not put out a security alarm because of their behavior.

They were lucky. No automatic lock mechanisms were in place. As soon as they had stepped outside, Jack exploded, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I…" she started desperately. "I really didn't think…"

"You bet you didn't think! You lied to me!" he said roughly, and then shook his head. "Doesn't matter now, I'll deal with you later. I have to go back in and get Vala and McKay out before they trigger an alarm and check the identity of everybody in there. Did that person see you?"

"No, I don't think so…" Her voice was trembling now when she considered the possibility that Vala and Rodney might get into trouble in a routine security check that she had prompted with her suspicious behavior.

"Who was it?"

Sam didn't dare to breathe. She couldn't tell him the truth. Not now. Jack was furious with her as it was. If he learned that she had not only lied about the place where she grew up, but had also hidden the fact that she did still have family…

She was convinced that he would throw her out of the resistance. Especially in the light of the fact that her father was one of the highest ranking officials in the Aschen ministry – a collaborator. That made her the daughter of a collaborator and a potential spy.

Finally, Sam opened up, "An acquaintance… I am positive he didn't see me…" Desperately she prayed that he would attribute the fact that her voice was trembling slightly to the general situation and the fact that he was very close to yelling at her. She couldn't see through him, so she didn't know if he believed her.

Jack was fuming. If there was one thing he absolutely didn't tolerate, then it was one of his subordinates messing up so stupidly – especially when the outcome of a mission depended on it. It was unlike her, and therefore it shocked him all the more. However, it was neither the right time nor the right place to deal with her misconduct, therefore he finally nodded calmly.

"Alright. You will go back to the pension. Lose the clothing as soon as possible! I will meet up with Vala and Rodney, and then we will join you there. DO NOT go anywhere until you hear from either me or Colonel Caldwell of resistance cell 6. Is that understood?"

Sam nodded, feeling mild relief inside of her, "Yes, Sir. I'm really sorry, Sir."

"Oh, you will be sorry, Carter, I'm not done with you yet. This conversation is far from being over. Now move!"

Boiling with anger, Jack opened the door to get back into the exposition hall and inform McKay and his companion of the change of plans – and hopefully leave with them without rousing the suspicion of the Aschen security guards.

Sam looked after him, feeling desperate, angry, and sad at the same time.

She knew that she had messed up, and that she had ruined their entire operation. If her father had followed them, or worse, if she hadn't seen him and run right into his arms instead, their entire cover would have been blown.

This was absolutely unacceptable. Her commanding officer was angry, and Sam knew that he had every right to be.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

"You're damn right you will be sorry! Not only did you endanger the plan, you also endangered our lives with that little stunt! All our lives, not just your own! Carter, this is just the reckless kind of behavior that I don't need coming from my people!" Jack stared at the woman in front of him who stood at attention, only her face reflecting her desperation and her remorse. "Damn it, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Sam was not moving a muscle, her eyes fixated at the door, while O'Neil was pacing around her.

"You're confined to this house for the rest of the stay to avoid further run-ins with people who might recognize you, and as soon as we're back at camp you'll be restricted to sanitary duty until you are able to give me a reasonable explanation for your need to lie to me."

"I…" Sam started and Jack froze and turned, looking into her eyes coldly.

"Did I give you permission to speak, ensign?"

She pressed her lips together, holding his eyes, fiercely trying to swallow what she was about to say.

When he was satisfied that she was completely obeying his orders, he shook his head softly. "Sam, because of your misconduct, I had to pull everybody out prematurely. I was scheduled to meet an important resistance contact there, a meeting that I missed because we had to leave! Our entire plan is going down the drain! Do I need to remind you that this operation is especially sensitive due to the involvement of another cell and its location in the capital of the Aschen government?" He raged on and then looked at her firmly. "Moment of truth. Have you ever been involved in any kind of dubious activity that might endanger our work?"

"No, Sir," she replied firmly and with a desperate edge to her voice, while keeping her eyes fixed on the wall.

"Then why did you lie to me?" he inquired further. "I explicitly asked everybody whether they had been to Washington before. Why didn't you just tell me that you had been here before, and that we might run into somebody who could recognize you? We would have taken special precautions; all you would have had to do was to tell the truth!" She kept her eyes fixed on the wall, while he was pacing up and down in front of her. When she realized, that his questions were not rhetorical, she eased up slightly and looked at him.

"I thought you would exclude me from the mission if you learned that I had been here."

He turned around and looked at her, shaking his head. "Sam, it is my prerogative to exclude people from operations when I think that their presence endangers the mission. I do that in order to keep the teams safe! How the hell am I supposed to do that when people in my team lie to me, and thereby withhold essential information?" He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh and let himself sink to the couch that was standing at the wall of the small room that Sam was sharing with Vala for the duration of the stay. Finally he shook his head, "It wouldn't have occurred to me to exclude you, but we could have taken precautions; like changing your look." His voice became a little softer, when he added, "I know we have had our problems in the past, but have I ever given you reason not to trust me when it comes to professional matters?"

"No, Sir…" She admitted in a small voice, knowing that he had a point. He had never treated her with less than the utmost respect, and during their work together in the field, he had never protected her from missions or excluded her from them. On the contrary. Since she was a member of SG-1 he usually expected more from Daniel and her than he did from the other teams. He had come to trust her unconditionally – and she had betrayed his trust; not just when it came to this mission, but the entire time she had been at camp.

Sam wished that she could think of any way to reveal the truth about who she was and where she was coming from without revealing that she had lied all this time. If he learned about the extent of her lies, he would most certainly demote her, or throw her out altogether reasoning that he would never be able to trust her again. She didn't want to risk that – or give up everything that she had worked for.

"Sir, I am really, truly sorry and I assure you something like this will never happen again," Sam finally almost pleaded with him.

Jack sighed with a disappointed shake of his head, and got up. "I suggest you use the time that you're grounded to think about your priorities: is it more important for you to keep your personal secrets, or do you want to work for the resistance to help bring the Aschen down. Frankly, I don't need anybody in my camp, or my team, who lies to me and thereby endangers the lives of everybody on the mission." He walked towards the door.

"Sir!" Sam exclaimed and started to run after him.

Jack didn't wait to hear what she had to say, but slammed the door shut in her face.

Sam stared at the heavy wooden door in front of her and touched it with her hands. Tears of anger and frustration sprung to her eyes now that he was gone, and she leaned her forehead against the rough wooden surface.

She wouldn't cry. Not over this! Especially because she knew, that O'Neill was right. It was her own fault.

He had never given her a reason to mistrust him in the field; on the contrary, he had shown that he was a fair and capable leader.

The more Sam thought about it, the surer she was that he would understand her situation – even though he would most likely not be pleased if he learned that she was the daughter of one of the human officials in the Aschen ministry. Nevertheless, if she explained her situation, maybe he would understand her reasons for lying about her origins all this time. After all, he was gifted himself. He knew the feelings of devastation and fear that accompanied the message of a positive test, and he might even understand her reasons for running away if she told him about her forced marriage.

Sam gave a tortured little groan. Everybody at camp believed, she was a salesman's daughter from a small town near the pacific coast.

She should never have started to tell those lies, but back when she had first met Jack O'Neill she hadn't been sure whether she could trust him, and she had wanted to make it harder for her father to track her down.

And now she was so entangled in her own web of lies that she didn't know how to unweave it again without sacrificing everything that she had fought for during the past half year. The entire situation was messed up.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

Jack entered the shady bar near the Washington harbor in the district that was the least prestigious of all of Washington. The Ashen capital didn't really have many worn-down districts, but there were a few where crime was more likely to happen and shady figures could occasionally be seen on the street.

From the outside, the bar looked inconspicuous, but Jack knew that this was a popular place for prostitutes to hang out, and less-than-reputable business to take place.

He looked around in the unfrequented room, and finally found the person he was looking for.

"Beautiful evening outside, isn't it?" he started casually, when he had reached the somewhat filthy counter and sat down on the barstool next to his friend Jacob Carter. He looked at the bartender, a young man who couldn't be older than thirty years old. "A beer, please."

Jacob fixated him with his eyes, an expression of obvious displeasure and annoyance on his face. "Where the hell were you, Jack?"

"We had to abort the mission." Jack remarked curtly, and Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"Problems?"

"Nothing that I couldn't handle." Jacob raised his eyebrows, and Jack shook his head calmly. "We weren't compromised, don't worry."

"Do you have the list?" Jacob inquired, and Jack put a piece of paper under a little napkin, while he nodded at the bartender who put the beer in front of him on the counter.

Without anybody noticing, Jacob picked up the napkin to wipe his mouth, the piece of paper vanishing into his sleeve.

"How's your daughter?" Jack inquired nonchalantly with a side-glance at Jacob, knowing that casual conversation was the best way to cover up the real purpose of their meeting. Aside from that, it was the perfect opportunity for him to finally address the desired subject after not having seen Jacob since they signed the marriage contract.

With confusion, he noticed that Jacob's face became pained and the older man turned away slightly to evade his eyes.

"There have been some unforeseen complications." Jacob replied evasively.

"Care to elaborate?" Jack asked, after Jacob had been quiet for a while.

"She disappeared." Jacob finally opened up. "Soon after I told her about her test results and the arrangements."

"Fer crying out loud, Jacob," Jack murmured, shocked at the revelation. "Why the hell didn't you contact me?"

"Because at first, I thought that it was just a matter of time before she'd return home. And I was scared that if I told you, you would insist on having the contract annulled. After all you did say that you would agree only under the condition that she agreed as well."

Jack looked at him incredulously. "It has been nine months Jacob! God!" Another thought occurred to him suddenly, and he was hesitant to even ask the question. He knew, it wasn't unusual for gifted people to attempt suicide after learning of their positive tests, but surely, Jacob's daughter wouldn't have reverted to such drastic measures. "Did she… Is she still alive?"

"To be honest, we don't know. She left me a letter the night she ran away, saying that she wanted to make her own decisions and live her life the way she chose. It didn't sound like she was planning to kill herself." He shook his head. "But you know the world out there. The truth is that we don't know if she is still alive."

"Why didn't you contact the resistance? We could have performed a planet-wide search in the underground! I know, if a person wants to vanish, it is no problem to do that, but at least that way the search would have been more extensive!"

"At the moment, her bothers are handling the search and contacting several people in the underground. As you know, I have to keep my contact with the resistance to a minimum to keep up my cover. If word gets out that I initiated an underground search – which you know it would, because the Aschen have their ears everywhere – they might get suspicious." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I just… I should have cared for her more."

Jack sighed, still not believing what he had heard. "You know the system, Jacob. It is not easy to deal with the knowledge that you are gifted. I am sure she is healthy and well. Why don't you send me a photo and her information so that I can address some of my contacts? You know how it is: they might know people, who know people who know people. We will find her."

"Like you found Sara?" Jacob asked ironically with a sigh and looked at him. Jack didn't know what to respond, because Jacob was right. If a person did not want to be found, then the chances of finding them were slim. Moreover, should his daughter indeed be dead, it would be close to impossible to ever prove that. Jacob put the empty glass of beer down and put a few silver coins on the counter to pay for it. "I have to leave now, but I will come down to Antarctica in a few weeks. I have vacation coming up, so I can take care of a large part of the delivery of technology myself. We'll talk in detail about how to proceed then."

The older man got up from his chair, and nodded at Jack before he left.

Jack knew that Jacob had to go, because the longer he stayed, the more likely it was that somebody who knew him might see him. It was bright daylight outside, and it was risky for a man of his position to be seen in the company of shady people, therefore he had to keep the meetings in Washington brief. However, he would have preferred to stay and get more information so that he could put a search to action immediately.

On the other hand, Jacob's daughter had run away. If she was still alive and did not want to be found, it would probably be more merciful to leave it at that and allow her a chance at happiness. If they managed to find her, she would have to live up to the marriage contract and deal with her life as a gifted woman – a thought that she apparently abhorred.

In the end, she had done nothing else than what his ex-wife Sara and he himself had done after his divorce from Sara had been made official. He had broken ties with everyone that he knew, and went into the underground. Jacob was the only person who he kept in contact with – because Jacob was the one who had brought him into the resistance.

They had met when they had both worked for the Aschen ministry. Jacob had been several positions above him, but that hadn't mattered. The two men had become friends, and when Jacob had seen what the thought of remarriage had done to his friend, he had offered him an out: joining the resistance.

Jack had been willing to pay the price and cut ties with every single one of his friends. He had felt as if he had lost everything anyway, and his only prospect had been to start the nightmare anew with being assigned a new wife. Vanishing from the Aschen radar had provided him with an option to escape the system. Therefore, Jack understood Jacob's daughter's motivations when she had made the decision to run away.

There was the possibility that she had killed herself, and the realization that he might have been at least partly a reason for that made him feel guilty. However, if she was anything like her father, Jack doubted that she would revert to such a final method of escape. Jacob was headstrong, stubborn and determined once he set his mind to something. If his daughter was anything like him, Jack was sure that she was well and healthy somewhere on Earth.

**Next update will follow in a few days… Stay tuned! ;)**

_Author's Note:_

_I took a little bit of creative liberty here when imagining Aschen society. We don't learn much about the Aschen on the show, but most of the Aschen that SG-1 deals with, are male. (I think it is exclusively all of them if I remember correctly. We do see a few females in "2010" during the festivities for the anniversary of the Aschen arrival, but I am not sure whether those were Aschen or humans.) _

_That led me to conclude that the Aschen are (at least predominantly) a patriarchic society. And they seem very dull on the show… dull and boring. ;) The rest, I took the creative liberty to invent._

_**And Review-Response-Time!**_

_**mmkbrook: **__By Hanson do you mean Jonas (her ex-boyfriend) or Tim Hanson? I really should have been more inventive with Tim's last name… Dammit. Jonas will probably make an appearance again towards the end of the story. _

_Tim Hanson I am not sure. He was just a minor character – and he was a human after all, who wanted to fight the Aschen bad enough to join the resistance. Destroying or harming the resistance would therefore decrease humankind's chance of fighting the Aschen… I don't think he'd do that. He was an idiot, but not that much of an idiot. ;)_

_And concerning chapter 20: I think most of the readers will really enjoy it, since most of them (including you) have the right expectations. ;)_

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma: **__Yaaay, intense UST! Mission accomplished. ;) But before chapter 20, I'll turn up the UST flame a little more… can't help it… sorry. ;)_

_**dpdp: **__I think this chapter sufficiently answers your Jacob question, right? ;)_

_**antares04: **__Well, see, the thing is, I am not a linear writer. I am a chaotic writer, and I have a couple of chapters in between which aren't completely finished yet; most because they were 'insert' chapters. (Chapter 24-25, Chapter 27, etc.) There's not much missing, but after finishing them, I have to go through the while rewriting process for them, send them to my wonderful beta-readers who will check for errors, and then revise again. That takes time… _

_I am not delaying the posting because I want to cause suspension in the readers, believe me. If I could, I would post one chapter a day, like I did with the very first chapters. But I have to sleep and work in between. ;) _

_And fanfictionnet cut your suggestion where to post to out. It just says "when you're done, you might want to consider posting to ." So I don't know which site you mean. :(_

_**Saissa: **__Well… it wasn't as long as chapter 12, but I still hope you're satisfied. :) And there will be more flirting in the next two chapters…_

_**vcm: **__There was confrontation in this chapter. There will be humorous flirtation in 18 and hot flirtation in 19… and then fireworks and friction in 20. And after that more fireworks… and then UST again. _

_God I feel like Stephenie Meyer… like all the story is about is finding a boyfriend. ;) _

_**Yol:**__ Yes, I absolutely want to basetheir relationship on friendship. That's what I love so much about the Stargate show. I mean, obviously there's desire as well – they're both really attractive and sexy – but there's deep respect and friendship. That's why they are so good. _

_And that is what I wanted to transfer into "Stargate Aschen"._

_Aaaand Jacob made an appearance. He'll soon make more appearances… I love Jacob. _

_**ALIMOO1971: **__Jack met up with Jacob, I hope you weren't disappointed. :D_

_**Channach: **__LOL! Yes, I like romance too, but romance is always better when woven into a nicely entangled little plot. And I think with this Aschen plot I am in way over my head… it's just becoming so complicated. ;)_

_**EvilTheLast, Smiffy11052, Boredomkills:**__ Thank you very much for your reviews, and please keep reading, and tell me if you don't enjoy something! :)_

_**Anisette22: **__Thank you very much! :) I am slowly building the Aschen plot, because otherwise it would be too overwhelming for the readers. And it is nicer to do it bit by bit. Questions keep the readers interested. ;) (Vicious, I know.)_

_**BNC-3K:**__ Then chapter 20 will be your chapter! :) There they will find out. I'm not gonna say more…_

_**Ramos**__: Did Jacob hope that Sam joined the resistance? Mmm… I think it really didn't cross his mind. You'll read more about that later on in the confrontation between Sam and her father. But at this point he isn't sure whether she's dead or alive. _

_And he's also very protective of her – and in a way very much controlling her. So I think the idea that she might have been able to find the resistance and join it is the last thing on his mind. ;)_

_**esmejasper: **__Gotta love the awkwardness. ;) I really enjoy the chapters which focus on relationship development the most. I also love writing the adventure chapters, but there's usually not much space in those for actual relationship development (they are rather meant for character development). _

_**louisa78: **__Oh, you bet that Sam is not going to be pleased when she finds out. ;)_

_**Jackina: **__Oh I plan on doing a lot more development… :) And I am really happy you still like the story and are still reading!_

_**Tobby B: **__Um… they kinda did go undercover as a couple I guess. ;) and there was this whole discussion about foced marriages and all, when the two of them are married… I just love the subtle irony of that whole scene. _

_And Sam turning down Jack's invitation was the only way. She likes him, but she is also very cautious of him now. She doesn't really know what to make of him, or his flirtations. After all, he turned her down with what she believes to be a lame excuse. She doesn't know that he is actually married – only Daniel does. _

_So her agreeing to come 'fishing' (yes, pun… cause we all know fishing wouldn't be fishing ;) ) would have been completely out of character in the context. At least it would have felt like it to me…_

**_As always, if I forgot you: SORRY! I am amazed by the positive reception of this story, and really happy that so many are reading it!_**


	19. Chapter 18 - So Close

_As always, a huge thanks to __**esmejasper **__and __**Channach**__ who are basically responsible for polishing off the rough edges of the story! I love how they transform it through their corrections, and I can't help thinking that I am the luckiest author for having such great beta-readers!_

_UST anyone? Hope you like it…_

**Chapter 18 – So Close**

"Hey, you do you have a ham sandwich left?"

Pleased to hear a familiar voice, Sam turned around from the wooden table she was preparing sandwiches at to look at her friend. "Daniel! When did you return?"

"Yesterday evening." The archeologist replied and smiled. "But all things considered, I probably should have stayed away a little longer, huh?" He grimaced, and she smiled while she handed him the plate with a ham sandwich over the counter.

"Yes," Sam winced. "The last generator gave out last night, so there's no power at all now. But hey, at least you can still work – McKay has been bugging me all day about how he is unable to work without his computers."

"Is he around?" Daniel looked almost panicked and Sam had to giggle softly.

"No, he's back up at the science camp, annoying Felger and Lee, I think."

"Thank God." Daniel exclaimed and took one of the bottles of water from the little shelf. "So how much longer are you gonna be stuck on sanitary duty?"

"Just two more days. Colonel O'Neill lowered my sentence to one week, after I assured him that I wouldn't lie to him again," Sam replied, while she hurriedly pulled out a plate for another soldier who had stepped up next to Daniel. The archeologist winced sympathetically.

"I'm sorry. I have heard that Jack is in a foul mood lately."

"Actually," Sam interrupted him with a serious expression on her face, "his anger with me was justified. I messed up, Daniel. I could have gotten us killed. As soon as things get calmer around here, I want to have a talk with him about that – I just hope that he won't throw me out of the resistance permanently."

Daniel smiled encouragingly, "Nah, he wouldn't do that. Unless you turned out to be an Aschen spy… which you're not, are you?"

Sam chuckled softly at his momentarily worried expression and shook her head, "No, I'm not."

"Then it'll be fine. Believe me." Daniel smiled and then his face lit up. "So, you gonna join our little slumber party tonight? I promise to keep Vala in line, and we won't start anything inappropriate that might lead to an awkward situation for you guys."

Ever since the night at O'Malley's, Daniel and Vala had been a couple – at least sort of – and it was well known on base that Vala would start hitting on him in the most inappropriate moments when she was off-duty.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I? Everybody is joining the slumber party," Sam replied.

Ever since the generators had started failing, the number of heating units available to them had steadily declined, and now that the power was out completely, they had all decided to sleep in two of the bigger tents where they could collect all the oil lamps and candles together and combine the heat their bodies radiated. It would prevent them from freezing to death, but it would still be a damn cold night.

Sam couldn't wait for polar night to be over. She knew that, in about a month, the temperatures would be so mild again that they could walk around in t-shirts – thanks to the returning sun, and the Aschen weather control units. But somehow the time until then still seemed to be endless; especially with the prospect of having no generators.

"The good news is," Daniel said in a conspiratorial voice, "rumors say, that the day after tomorrow, two new generators will arrive and in two weeks one of our contacts from Washington will arrive with some of the technology we stole at the fair. So we should have power again soon, and we will also be able to resume the Stargate activity."

"Great!" Sam's face lit up, "I was starting to get concerned that I would have to learn how to prepare meals over a fire like in medieval times."

"Ah, before it comes to that, we have an entire storage tent with emergency rations to eat up." Daniel laughed at the disgusted look on her face and then picked up his plate. "Alright then, I'll see you later tonight. I better go before McKay shows up here – which, considering his constant need for food, will be pretty soon I bet!" He gave Sam an encouraging smile and then left.

Sam had to admit, she was actually looking forward to her bed tonight. The past few days had been hard on her.

She didn't complain. It would have been useless and her pride didn't allow for it, because she knew that she deserved the temporary demotion. Plus, in a way, it had been good for her, because she had realized that her work at the resistance actually was more important to her than running away from her past.

She had only two more days of sanitary and kitchen duty left, and she would see those days through with her head held high. And after things had calmed down at camp, and as soon as polar night was over, she would wait until Jack O'Neil was in a good mood and then open up to him about who she really was – or rather who her father was.

It was still dark outside, even during the day, although the thick blanket of snow that covered the camp, trees and rocks now did reflect a little bit of light, even from the dark sky. However, the snow also prevented them from being successful in finding firewood, because even if they did find wood, it was simply not dry enough to be suitable for making a fire.

At least they still had dozens of oil lamps and boxes full of candles, so Sam was sure the night would not turn out to be too bad.

She was wrong.

After she had taken her evening shower with water so cold that she was amazed it didn't drizzle down on her in little flakes of ice, she snuggled into her sleeping bag in one of the bigger tents. Desperately, she tried to warm up and catch some much needed sleep. But only two hours later, she woke up again from a drowsy state of half-consciousness, shivering from the cold that was creeping through the walls of her sleeping bag. She was already wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants, but it didn't help much against the moist freeze that was spreading throughout the room.

The cold of the night was making its way into the tent – despite the fact that there were 15 people sleeping in it now. It even made its way through her clothes. Her feet were cold as ice. Quietly, she peeled herself out of her sleeping bag, trying to keep her teeth from chattering, and climbed over two of the other bags to warm her hands over one of the oil lamps. It barely provided any heat at all, and so even sitting there for five minutes didn't really help. If anything, it made her feel even colder. It was a mystery to Sam how the people around her could be so sound asleep.

Granted, men usually had more muscle mass, and therefore their bodies preserved heat better, but she couldn't imagine that in this cold it made much of a difference.

Slowly, and quietly, almost unable to contain her shaking from the cold now, she sneaked over to one of the boxes to pull out a second jacket and blanket. When she heard a rustling sound in between the sleeping bags, she turned her head, only to see Jack O'Neill sitting up in his bag, looking at her wide awake.

"Sorry, Sir, didn't mean to wake you," she whispered quietly, trying not to wake more people.

"You didn't," he replied in the same hushed voice, one look at her face immediately telling him what was going on. She was pale, and her movements were uncoordinated as she tried to open the box with the blankets. On top of that, her body was visibly shaking despite her obvious attempts to hide that from him. It was no wonder, he thought quietly. Although she was tall, she was very slender and the lack of body fat actually was working to her disadvantage in these cold temperatures. "You need to warm up."

"Tell me something I don't know, Sir," she slurred slightly with a wince and when she was about to pull the jacket on, it slipped from her trembling fingers. She held her hands in front of her mouth, trying to warm them up with her own breath.

"Oh, fer crying out loud," he said, so loud that McKay stirred in his sleeping back with a moan. He lowered his voice. "Carter! Come here!"

"Sir?" She looked at him quizzically, watching him open his sleeping back.

"Get your ass here."

Oh no, that really wasn't a good idea, she decided. She would not share a sleeping bag with him. "I'm fine, Sir… I just need…"

"That wasn't a request, Carter. You're pale and you're shivering. Come here, before you get hypothermia! And I swear, if I have to come fetch you…"

She looked at him hesitantly, and for a moment, he thought she would defy his order – a thought that really wasn't appealing to him. He wasn't keen on the idea of having to go get her and risk waking up the entire group in the process. Then she slowly climbed over the sleeping bags towards him.

"You sure, Sir?" she asked hesitantly, when she had reached him and then her eyes widened when he pulled his shirt over his head. "What are you doing?"

"Shirt off, Carter! And lose the pants. You can keep the tank top and the shorts. You need to warm up fast, and skin-on-skin is the best way to achieve that."

"No way!" she exclaimed louder than intended, which again caused McKay to mumble something indefinably.

"Shhhh…" Jack said and pulled her down to her knees with one hand, before he started to fumble at her shirt. "I am really not in the mood to freeze to death while I'm discussing this with you!"

"Sir!" Sam hushed outraged now, her cold fingers grasping his hands, holding them still in a firm albeit shaky grip. "Take your hands off of me, I'll do it!"

She did. She removed first the thick fleece shirt, then the pants, until she was kneeling next to him wearing only the standard issue tank top and her panties. Still shivering, she climbed into the sleeping back that Jack now held open for her, making sure she had her back to him. It wasn't so much that she didn't trust him, but more that she didn't trust herself not to enjoy their closeness a little too much.

She tensed up, when she felt Jack's naked chest at her back, her buttocks resting against his hips. He pulled the thick fleece blanket that she had brought around them and then zipped the sleeping bag back up. There was hardly enough space for two people, and Sam felt like she was nearly crushed against his chest. Tensely, she lay next to him. She had to admit, his body was wonderfully warm against hers, but there was no way she was going to be able to sleep like this.

"This is uncomfortable," she hissed, and heard him chuckle.

"Only because you refuse to turn around."

She felt his arm at her waist and twitched slightly. "Sir, I'd really prefer if you didn't…"

"Carter," he said hushedly into her ear. "This is just for warming you up… I swear. We can exchange body heat and both get some sleep. I promise, I will keep my hands to myself – or… well, at least I promise not to touch inappropriately," he corrected when he realized that the confinement of the sleeping bag hardly allowed for the luxury of keeping his hands anywhere where they wouldn't be touching her.

She was silent for a while, and then she suddenly stirred and fought to turn around in the confinement of the sleeping bag.

"There, that's better," Jack nodded, when she was facing him, their faces so unbelievable close to each other that he could feel her breath against his cheeks. Carefully, he moved his arms around her waist, pressing her against his body, and he could feel her shivers start to subside almost immediately.

"You're so warm," she whispered appreciatively, burying her head against his neck, completely engulfed in his warmth and his scent. He smelled so good, she noticed quietly, and a surge of heat rushed through her body when she remembered that night in O'Malley's and how they had passionately made out. His body had felt so strong and hot against hers, and she had wanted him so badly that it hurt; she still wanted him, she realized. At the last second, she swallowed the soft moan before it left her lips, and desperately tried to get her body's reaction back under control while she closed her eyes.

Jack held her close, just reveling in the feeling of having her soft, female curves so close to him. It was the way that she melted into his body and felt so absolutely perfect against him, that almost made him forget about his promise not to touch her more than absolutely necessary.

He had dreamed of holding her against him ever since that night in O'Malley's bar, and really had to fight to keep his mind in check now. The memories of what it had felt like to have her pressed against him in the most intimate and erotic way possible started to flood his mind almost immediately: how she had writhed against him, and filled the air around them with her soft little gasps and moans.

He suppressed a tortured groan, when she shifted against him and moved her arms around him to his back. Her soft hair tickled the skin of his cheek. She didn't even seem to realize what effect she was having on him – which was good on the one hand. On the other hand, it also probably meant that she would keep shifting and writhing against him, and there was no way he'd be able to control his body's reaction to her for that much longer. He tightened the grip around her, disguising his action as an attempt to provide more warmth for her, while at the same time holding her firmly in place.

Sam had closed her eyes, as she lay pressed against his body, his warm skin touching her cold one, grazing over hers in what felt almost like sensual touches. She knew she shouldn't be enjoying lying here with him almost naked, but she couldn't help feeling completely at ease. This was what she had secretly longed for, just to feel him against her skin on skin.

She had actually planned not to sleep. Her intention was to warm up, and as soon as she had regained a healthy body temperature, she had wanted to move back to her own sleeping bag. However, she couldn't help surrendering to the feeling of absolute comfort and warmth that she found in his embrace.

She didn't realize that she stopped shivering from the cold, and she didn't notice how her mind slowly drifted off into a blissful sleep in his arms.

When she woke up the next morning, her head and upper body were lying on his naked chest, while the rest of her body had curled into him, one of her legs hooked in between his and her pelvis firmly pressing into the side of his hips. It was an intimate embrace, and it took her a moment upon waking to realize that she was not just dreaming.

She opened her eyes, not daring to move – hell, even if she had wanted to, she wouldn't have known how to slide out of his embrace because the sleeping bag really didn't allow for much freedom of movement. She could feel his left arm on her back, pressing her against him, and his other hand gently holding her forearm, which was lying on his chest, in place.

"I know you're awake."

She froze when she heard his voice, and lifted her head to look up at his eyes, which were twinkling with amusement.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, confused and visibly embarrassed now.

"For a while." He saw with satisfaction that her skin had lost its paleness and she had stopped shivering. Her body felt warm and soft against his.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She tried to alter her position, but the sleeping back severely restrained her movements, and she ended up with her hips pressed even firmer against his. How she had managed to shift into this position in her sleep was a puzzle to her.

"Carter." Jack looked down at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm only human. You really might want to stop writhing against me like that, unless you want us to end up in a very awkward situation."

"Oh," she commented when she realized what he was talking about and froze immediately, just staring up at him with her big blue eyes, while she blushed from a combination of embarrassment and awkwardness. "Could you… I mean… open the zipper and let me out?" she asked when he didn't look like making any effort to move at all.

"Alright… just stop… fidgeting," he muttered under his breath trying to find the zipper, feeling around them with his hands.

"Sir!" Sam exclaimed with a soft shriek, when his warm hand moved along her buttocks and up over her waist and grazed her soft naked skin in the process.

Jack chuckled at her reaction. "Relax, Carter, I'm just trying to find the damn zipper."

"Felt like you were feeling me up there for a moment."

"As tempting as that idea is, I wouldn't dare do that." His tone sounded mischievous and amused. "Okay, I think it's next to my shoulder. I can't reach it. You're gonna have to do it."

"Alright," she announced, "but that means I'll have to move again." She struggled for a moment to free her hands without success. "Who came up with this design?" she muttered under her breath as she tried to wriggle her hands up so that she could reach the zipper. His resulting smirk made her raise her eyebrows.

"Something funny, colonel?"

"Nope… I was just thinking that it would be somewhat comical if we'd have to yell for one of the others to get us out of here."

"Not funny, Sir! I have a reputation to lose."

"What's going on, guys?" At that moment, a sleepy voice sounded from somewhere next to them, and they both froze and turned their heads. Daniel was looking at them from about a meter away, his tousled head peeking out of his sleeping bag. He blinked slightly confused, when he saw both of them in the same sleeping bag, and then fumbled for his glasses. When he had found them, he put them on and stared at them as if not believing what he saw in front of him.

"Daniel, it's really not what it looks like!" Sam blushed furiously, and gently hit Jack's chest, when the man didn't even try to hide his amused smirk.

"Um… okay." Daniel commented matter-of-factly. "I'm just gonna take your word for that…" He observed Sam's struggle for a moment and then finally offered. "Do you need help?"

"No," Sam muttered, finally reaching the zipper with her fingers. She fought to open it and then crawled out of the bag, immediately grabbing her clothes, which were still lying next to the sleeping bag. The shock of the cold hit her almost like a splash of cold water, and for a moment her first instinct was to crawl back into the warm sleeping bag and snuggle up to her disturbingly handsome commanding officer who was watching her with obvious interest.

Realizing that she was only wearing her tank top and panties – a view which he didn't make a secret of thoroughly enjoying - she hurried to pull on her sweater, glaring down at Jack.

Her clothes were icy cold and damp, but she didn't care for the moment. He was making no bones about his enjoyment of the situation – and she had liked feeling his body pressed against hers way too much, and that fact confused her to her very core. Why did it have to be him of all people that made her long for his touch, and whose body felt so good, so right against hers?

In her hurry to get back over to her own makeshift bed, she lost balance and with a soft little shriek landed right on top of John Sheppard's body. The soldier, who had been soundly sleeping, was immediately on full alert at being landed on by a shrieking female.

"Damn it!" Sam muttered. "I'm sorry, Colonel!"

"Carter," Sheppard muttered sleepily in soft protest. Before he could say something else, or help her up, she had jumped back to her feet and finally dropped on her own sleeping bag, glaring over the room at Jack whose eyes were still sparkling with amusement. He really was a smug bastard sometimes, she thought angrily while she pulled on her pants, and then grabbed her shoes to leave the tent.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Daniel muttered when Sam had left and dropped his head back on his pillow. It was still dark out, but then again, it would remain dark all day, so it wouldn't hurt to sleep a little longer.

Sam was wrought-up – but not so much by the colonel's behavior, if she was honest with herself. It was the ease, with which he drew her in, and her increasing inability to resist him, that she found highly disturbing. Ever since the night at O'Malley's and their erotic encounter in the rain, she couldn't just regard him as a superior officer; especially when he made flirtatious remarks. It seemed to be so easy for him to break through the barrier that she hid her feelings behind; and that was what scared her. Moreover, he seemed to know it – that was even worse. He seemed to be able to read her like a book; a fact that gave him such power over her that it terrified her.

Despite her anger, her intention to stay away from him and her reluctance to admit how drawn she felt to him, she shakily crawled over to his sleeping bag again the next night. He didn't say a word while he opened the zipper and pulled her shivering body close against him. Without a comment, he hugged her in his arms as if it had been their routine forever. Both of them went to sleep almost instantly.

_**Next chapter will follow in 2 days…**_

_We're getting a bit of relationship-building and comedy again. I gotta admit, I loved writing this chapter… and I know every S/J shipper loved their snuggling for heat in the season 1 episode "Solitudes" so I figured, I'd homage that a little bit…_

_Those of you who prefer the adventure – you'll get your treat soon. I have about 3 adventure chapters coming up, but first some relationship building, and then of course the long-awaited chapter 20! :)_

_**One thing to address again:**_

_It came up a few times now in reviews, and it makes me wonder: People keep mentioning that I make mistakes with the ranks, because there is no such rank "Ensign" in the Air Force. No, there isn't, and you are absolutely correct. _

_Sam and Jack in "Stargate Aschen" are not serving in the Air Force however. This Earth doesn't have an army. It only has the resistance, which operates covertly. _

_Let me go into the resistance a little bit more here: Obviously, I cannot speak from experience, since I've never served as part of one. Therefore, my inspiration for the resistance in "SG Aschen" came from Star Trek Deep Space 9, and its depiction of the Bajoran resistance. While there are clear ranks, the hierarchy is very low, and actually just the highest-ranking members are constantly referred to by rank. (Technically, Daniel, Janet and Vala are all above Sam in rank, but she never addresses them as "Sir/Ma'am" for example). I don't think a resistance would invent more ranks than absolutely necessary. A complex command structure can easily complicate things – especially in an organization as small as the resistance. Plus, as Daniel mentions in chapter 10, the resistance is not like an army. People don't go home after an 8 hour work day to spend time with their families. The resistance is a life's work. Most people who serve in it, give up the lives that they lived previously. In Daniel's words: "This is your cell, and it will be your family from now on." So: not like the military structures that we know at all. ;)_

_There are four ranks all together: _

_1. Recruit (Sam, Chapter 5 – 9: only very limited privileges)  
2. Ensign (Sam, from Chapter 9; Vala)  
3. Lieutenant (Daniel, McKay, Janet,…)  
4. Colonel (solely camp leaders and the two or three highest ranking members of the cells: O'Neill, Mitchell, Sheppard)_

_While making it up the ranks can happen through extraordinary achievements (as shown in the case of Jack later on), it usually doesn't. Members get promoted automatically if they do a good job. After 3 months: Ensign; After 4 years: Lieutenant; After at least 5 years of service and extraordinary accomplishments that qualify them for command: Colonel. _

_In the case of Jack, it went faster, because he spent his first year mostly in Solo Missions (resistance equivalent of Black Ops), which require special skills, are more dangerous and require the operative to be willing to sacrifice his or her own life._

_Those ranks have nothing to do with the Air Force in our universe. I don't know if it makes sense to explain the resistance and its ranks at some point (I might), but mostly, I don't want to bore the readers with information that's insignificant for the progress of the story._

_Since the remark about "Ensign" not being an Air Force rank came up repeatedly though, I figured I should address it quickly. ;)_

_**And it's Review-Response-Time!**_

_**Saissa:**__ Oh, sometimes I think I am making this Sam too much of a „just because my reproductive organs ar on the side instead of the outside" fighter. ;) Yes, there will be Jacob/Sam confrontation – although it will not be resolved right away. _

_Jack was angry with Sam for endangering the mission, but he is willing to cut her some slack. She's good at what she does (science) and he mostly trusts her – but her lying to him will become a small issue also when the truth finally comes out. ;D_

_**mmkbrook: **__Yes, driving the Aschen off their planet will be hard… bit in reality the solution is so simple that I am wondering whether I am having some major logical flaws in it. Maybe some of you will guess it at a later point in the story. ;)_

_As for the marriage: Janet told Sam in chapter 13 that Jack used to be married but got divorced. They didn't talk about his current relationship status, so as far as Sam is concerned, she only received details about something she already knew. ;D But important details, since Jack opening up to her builds their relationship. They are both gifted – which is a huge, life-altering thing in their reality. And therefore they share very similar emotional experiences. _

_I wanted to show that they can bond over that. _

_And of course there's the irony of them discussing marriage, unaware that they are actually married to each other. :P_

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma: **__I'm gonna have to make you wait just a little bit longer, I hope you can bare with me. ;) But yes, chapter 17 was fun for just that reason: so close to the truth, and yet not getting there… _

_**NION:**__ Oh don't worry, she will. And don't forget, she's new in the resistance. Of course she'd first have to prove herself. And while she's getting better, she still has to learn a lot. She will however fight her way through… ;)_

_**ALIMOO1971:**__ Oh, shocking indeed. You have no idea. ;) It'll start in chapter 20, so enjoy the chemistry til then… ;)_

_**vcm:**__ Love/Hate you shall get… there'll was love in this chapter… there'll be some more love in the next… and then… yeah well, I don't wanna spoiler. Wait and see… ;)_

_**dpdp**__: All 3 of them are in for a pretty big surprise, I think. I was doing a lot of research about the Aschen and their society, but since they only appeared in 2 episode, I had to go on guts there. It seemed strange to me though, that all of the Aschen they ever did business with or talked to were male. So I just went with that…_

_**EvilTheLast**__: Thank you for reading the story, I'm glad you still like it._

_**Channach: **__Yes, you do, and again, I have to say that both, you and __**esmejasper**__ do a fantastic job! __I love your suggestions and alterations. And I really need people to tell me "No this doesn't work" because (even though I might see it unconsciously) I lack the courage or drive to do it again. So thank you so much for putting all this time into the story. :)_

_**Yol: **__Yes, they will find out the truth very soon. :) I just hope that everybody won't stop reading after chapter 20 or 21… ._

_**Guest: **__Please see the beginning for you question about the rank. This is an alternate universe story, so any knowledge you might have (or think you have) about how things are: throw it overboard. ;) Things are completely different in this story._

_**Sequinn: **__Who will come clean first? Well… I don't want to give that away yet. But very soon you will know…_

_**louisa78:**__ I realized that I promised you an answer to your qustion from chapter 11 at the end of chapter 17. Well, chapter 17 is now chapter 20 (my count – chapter 21 on this site's count), due to a number of inserts, so you will see all about Sam's reaction to the marriage in the chapter after the next. ;) And yes, in Chapter 1 I explained that Sam has 3 brothers, who are all farmers (standard profession for non-gifted human males). None of them are gifted. (Sam said something about "It doesn't run in the family, they are not gifted either" when Jacob tells her that her tests are positive.)_

_**Tobby B: **__You have a very good feeling about the characters and their reactions… wow. I guess that means that I built the characters well so that it's understandable why they would react the way they did. _

_And yes, there'll be a lot of anger indeed… I really hope I won't disappoint with chapters 20 and 21._

_And Jacob's teasing will probably only happen towards the end of the story… ;)_

_**Cassis:**__ Thank you! I'm sorry, it is very late and I am very tired, so I can't mustert he strength to answer in French. (I am not very good at it, and it takes a lot of effort for me even when I am not tired. ;) )_

_I am really happy you like the developments so far. ;) Don't expect it to be over with the revelation that they are married. :)_

_**Guest #2: **__I love the Aschen too. I don't know why they didn't use them more often on the show. They are the scariest enemy ever, because they take over the planets slowly, and disguised as friends, while destroying the societies. Of course, on the show, they effectively ended the Aschen by implying that they would dial into the planet with the wormhole as one of the next coordinates. ;)_

_**avonleashores: **__Wow… Honestly, I am surprised that so many readers would expect Jonas. Granted, since he is Aschen, it would be a likely possibility, but it didn't even cross my mind to let him make a reappearance this early in the story. He will appear again later on… but not just yet. ;)_

_And thanks so much for still reading! :D_

_**Ann84: **__I won't give that away yet… ;) Let's see if Sam can muster the courage to tell Jack about her HUGE lie before it all comes out…_

_**Guest #3:**__ Thank you, and I will try to update faster again, so that I don't keep you waiting too long. :)_


	20. Chapter 19 - A New Dawn

_As always, thanks to **esmejasper** and **Channach** for their wonderful job!_

_And please read the notes at the end for a **Surprise Giveaway!**_

**Chapter 19 – A New Dawn**

The darkness started to affect everybody. Even when they received two replacement generators two days later to provide them at least with basic electricity and the possibility to heat the sleeping tents, the situation got worse with every day that passed. People became so depressed that Janet had to start handing out high-dosage vitamin D pills to compensate for the lack of sunlight that prevented their bodies from producing the much-needed vitamin.

Everybody was highly unmotivated to do any kind of work, and even the few gadgets that had already arrived from their theft in Washington couldn't really lift the mood.

It was over a week later, when the ever-present twilight that had veiled the region was broken by the first sunbeams peeping over the horizon around noon, announcing the first dawn in almost five weeks. Sam didn't even notice the daylight at first, since she was involved in one of her projects, and the lamps inside the science tent were brightly lit.

As usual, she was completely absorbed in studying one of the artifacts, and concentrating on taking it apart – circuit by circuit. Therefore, she didn't even look up when she heard somebody enter the tent.

"Carter… whatcha doing?"

Sam smiled, recognizing the voice of her commanding officer immediately, but didn't look up, while she carefully removed a transparent layer of micro-circuits from the artifact.

"I'm taking apart one of the artifacts from storage. This is really interesting, Sir… I've never seen a data storage technology this complex before. The pathways are nothing more…"

"Ah…" he interrupted her, and that made Sam look up in confusion. "Okay, I'm not really interested in that. It was just a conversation opener…" His confession was accompanied by a mildly awkward look and Sam couldn't help but smile at his attempt to engage her in a conversation.

"Sorry, Sir. What was it that you wanted then?"

"The sun is back," Jack announced. "I thought you wanted to see it? We're having a little gathering down at the food tent."

"Oh really!" Sam's face lit up. "Finally! I'm so fed up with the constant twilight outside."

"You wanna come?" Jack asked hopefully, and Sam raised her eyebrows, looking back down at the artifact that she was taking apart. She really wanted to finish her examination to be able to write the report about it and have it off her to-do list – but then again they had waited for the sunlight to return for weeks.

The absence of the sunlight made the days stressful – even without Stargate missions and despite the fact that they had received new generators. They had had to clear the tents and equipment of snow and ice every day; they still regularly had to maintain the generators to keep them from breaking down; and on top of that, the scientists were still involved with their examinations of artifacts and the evaluation of potential weapons. The cumulative effect was a dull depression that blanketed the entire camp and slowly, but surely, eroded the morale of everybody present.

In a way, Sam felt as if the past weeks had been more stressful and exhausting than the days when they were actually operating the Stargate. She longed for a bit of a downtime, and so, eventually, she put down the little screwdriver she was holding.

"There'll be cake!" Jack further tried to coerce her and Sam smiled softly at his enthusiastic attitude.

"Cake, huh? Where did you get that?"

"We got it a few days ago from town… it's kind of a ritual up here. Every year, when the sunlight is finally back, we have a little party. Works wonders for people's moods." He smiled at her.

"Well, who can say no to that?" She finally got up.

"Great!" Jack nodded and held the canvas that covered the entrance open for her.

Sam inhaled deeply when she stepped outside. It was indeed considerably lighter, although the sun was still standing very low at the horizon. It would take a few days for it to be fully light out again, but as soon as it was, the warmer climate would return with a vengeance.

The thought made her almost giddy with anticipation, because it meant that they would start up Stargate operations again and life at Antarctica would return to normal – if 'normal' was an accurate description for what their days looked like.

The food tent was crowded, and the benches around the makeshift tables were filled with soldiers who were talking and laughing, while others were lurking around outside, smoking or engaging in lively conversations.

They were still twenty meters away, when they saw Daniel strolling towards them with an impish smile on his face.

"Jack."

"Daniel…" With astonishment, Sam noticed that the attitude of her commanding officer changed. He slowed down and lifted his hands. "Don't even think about it."

"About what?" The man asked with a mock-innocent expression in his eyes, and looked at Sam. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey Daniel," she greeted him mildly confused. "What's going on?"

"Jack didn't tell you about our ritual, huh?" Daniel asked, increasingly amused.

"The cake? Yes he did but…" Sam started, but Daniel interrupted her.

"No, the other one. Sam, you might wanna step away."

"Daniel. It's not a ritual, it is stupid, and don't even think about it!" Jack interrupted them with an audible warning in his voice.

The next moment, a large snowball hit Jack's chest and burst into dozens of pieces. Sam gasped, because some of the ricocheting snow had hit her, and she had expected anything but a snowball attack. Incredulously, she stared at Daniel, and then turned to face her commanding officer.

"Sir?"

"Carter, you might want to step aside, this will get ugly." He warned her, and Sam's eyes sparkled with amusement when she saw the mischievous expression on his face. She rarely saw him engaging in the camp's fun activities that occasionally came up, because, being their camp commander, he was usually bent on keeping a certain distance.

That fact made her like his newly revealed playful side all the more.

Daniel chuckled and threw another snowball, but this time, it hit Sam. She gasped, and turned around, staring at him incredulously.

"Daniel, I thought we were friends!" she remarked with mock-insult in her voice while she brushed the cold, fluffy material off her arm.

"Carter," Jack announced, and turned to her. "What do you say we team up and teach him a lesson about attacking his teammates like that?"

"Absolutely, Sir!" Sam nodded and looked at Daniel determinedly, while she bent down to gather some snow in her hands and form it into a little ball.

When she threw it, Daniel ducked away, and it hit one of the soldiers who were standing a few meters behind Daniel, talking. When the man turned around in confusion, Sam winced apologetically.

"Whoops… sorry!" she yelled at the young man. She began to realize, just how much of a ritual the snow fight had become, when, instead of accepting her apology, the soldier turned around, and yelled "SNOWFIGHT!" into the crowd.

That was when the chaos began. With loud cheering, the members of the resistance stopped whatever they were doing, and only moments later, the small field in front of the food tent had turned into a warzone with people throwing snowballs at each other with a determination that suggested that their lives depended on it.

It didn't take long until some of the other soldiers had sided with Sam and Jack, and were throwing snowballs at the small team that had gathered around Daniel. Other teams started to form, and soon, everybody was throwing snowballs at whomever they could get a clear aim.

Sam couldn't help but laugh as she watched when eventually, Vala threw a snowball at Daniel and the archeologist started after the pigtailed young woman, who squealed uncharacteristically as he threw her down into the snow. They started wrestling playfully.

She was just forming another snowball, when one from behind hit her on the arm. The young woman turned around in disbelief and looked at her commanding officer – who was the only one standing in the line from which the snowball had come.

"Sir!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were on the same team?"

"Friendly fire," he offered, but the teasing expression on his face told her, that it had been anything but accidental.

"The hell it was!" she laughed, and turned around, weighing the snowball in her hand. She aimed and threw.

He tried to dodge her attack, but she had expected him to try ducking down and therefore aimed lower. Jack was slightly put off when the white, puffy snowball hit his chest and crumbled into thousands of little snow crystals that went tumbling to the ground. With an expression of disbelief in his eyes, he lifted his head to look at his attacker.

Sam was only standing about five meters away, with the most endearingly impish expression on her face that he had ever seen. Jack fixated her with his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched into a little smirk.

"I'm not sure, but I think that this counts as insubordination," he replied with a mock warning, slowly approaching her. Sam giggled softly and took a step back for every one that he took towards her.

"You started it. And I was thinking more along the lines of mutiny, Sir."

"Were you?" He raised his eyebrows, while he bent down to collect some snow in his hands.

Sam formed another snowball in her hands as well, and Jack cocked his head. "Carter…" he warned, before he threw his snowball at her. She successfully ducked away, and threw her own, landing a second hit. Jack growled playfully. "Alright, that's it."

With those words he started at her, and with a squeal, Sam turned around to flee into the middle of the 'snow battlefield', trying to dodge some of the snowballs that were flying left and right.

Before she had managed to make five steps, however, he had caught up with her, his arms encircling her waist from behind as he held her firmly against his body. "First mistake," he rasped lowly into her ear and felt her shudder slightly, "you didn't take a good defense position. Second mistake: never turn your back on your opponent."

"First mistake." Her voice had an intimate edge to it, while she turned around in his arms. "Don't underestimate the creativity of the person you're attacking." With those words, she brought him to the ground in a playful close-combat move that he would have easily been able to block if he had expected it from her in the context.

Sam didn't even use half of the force that she was capable of, since she didn't want to hurt him, but it was enough to make him land on his back in the soft snow. The young woman started giggling when she saw his confused stare, and playfully threw some snow at him. "I am very disappointed, Colonel. A man of your skills should not be this easy to overpower."

He leaned over to pounce on her unexpectedly, and Sam shrieked. She went to turn around and run away, but at the same time a stray snowball hit her chest and the shock made her slip and lose her balance. She landed in the snow next to her commanding officer without him even so much as touching her.

Her own stupidity prompted her to start laughing, and she let her head fall back into the snow and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment at her clumsiness.

Jack leaned over her with a smile, and looked down at her. "That was pathetic."

"I know…" Sam managed to agree in between laughs. "I didn't expect that."

With a chuckle, Jack picked up some of the soft snow and let it rain down on her face. Sam started squealing softly in protest and hit blindly at his hand under laughter.

"Sir… wait… I'm calling for a truce!"

"Oh, I don't know about that just yet… you had the advantage and you blew it."

"What advantage?" She asked, finally having managed to capture his hand in hers, and looked up at him. Snowflakes were stuck to her skin, her hair and her eyelashes, and slowly started to melt, leaving behind little drops of water that covered her skin.

He resisted the urge to lean down and taste the fresh snow on her lips, and instead explained, "Well, for one, you are younger, so there's the advantage of age…"

"I counter that with you're older, therefore you have a lot more experience in combat situations," she replied with a challenging expression in her eyes.

He nodded with a smile. "Alright, point taken."

"And may I remind you, Sir, that you were the one who attacked me from behind?" she continued playfully. "I on the other hand did it front on. The snowball hit your chest, not your back!" She let go of his hand and touched the wet spot on the shirt over his chest where her first snowball had hit him. The material was soaked with the molten snow from numerous snowball attacks, but it was still warm from his hot skin underneath.

Suddenly she became very aware of his presence: his body lying so closely against hers, half-leaning over hers and pinning her to the ground; the warmth that was radiating from him; his scent that engulfed her and the masculine strength that he was emanating at that very moment.

Her breath hitched in her throat and she looked up to meet his eyes. She could see that the expression in his eyes had changed as well; there was something powerful in them, something predatory with a hint of playfulness.

He lowered the hand with the snow, that he had threatened to rain down on her face, and instead slowly, almost tenderly traced the icy cold substance down her neck. All the while, he kept his eyes locked with hers, searching for a hint of discomfort or reluctance on her part.

The young woman gasped in shock at the sudden cold on her sensitive skin, but she didn't move. She held his eyes, and bit her lips at the sensation.

Jack picked up some more snow and drew a lazy pattern of melting snowflakes on the freckled skin of her collarbone, until she shakily gripped his wrist.

"S-Sir…" she whispered, and he smirked, leaning in slightly.

Sam froze. When had this happened? When had their innocent, playful little fight turned into something so erotic?

Heat shot through her, when he reacted to her touch, and let his hand sink to lie on her collarbone, his arm resting between her breasts. It was an intimate position, and she was torn between fascination and outrage at herself about how much her body enjoyed the situation.

Jack kept looking at her intently, and then suddenly his eyes dropped to her lips. He was only seconds away from kissing her, she realized suddenly, and a mild panic hit her. If he kissed her, it would inevitably lead to awkwardness afterwards; therefore, she had to put an end to the situation now. She really didn't want to go down the same road as they did after their encounter at O'Malley's.

"S-Sir…" Sam murmured, her voice trembling slightly as she softly pushed against his chest to free herself. He reacted instantly, and rolled onto his back in the snow, away from her, allowing her to sit up. "I give up, you win."

He studied her for a moment curiously, and then said jokingly, "Aww, Carter, now I'm disappointed."

She laughed and threw some snow at him. "You don't play fair…"

"Playing unfair is a lot of fun," he promised with a heated undertone, and Sam lowered her face to hide the fact that she was blushing, because the sexual implication behind his statement was clear to both of them.

What was he doing? She had thought that he did not want to be with her, and yet he was so openly flirting with her, and even went so far to make her an unambiguous sexual offer. Was he just looking for a quick adventure? Was he testing her? Were these just meaningless flirtations?

She could not make head or tails of this man. Everything about him confused her – and drew her in. Desperately, she tried to get herself back under control.

"So, you still up for the cake?" Jack asked nonchalantly, his entire attitude back to normal.

Sam studied him thoughtfully, and then smiled cautiously. "Yes, absolutely." She leaned in conspiratorially. "We should hurry, while the others are still distracted with the snow fight."

He chuckled and got back up to his feet, before he reached out his hand to help the young woman up. They brushed the snow off each other's back. When they were done, he realized that the young woman was shivering slightly. Neither of them was wearing a jacket, and their little snowball fight had left traces of wetness on both their clothes, but Sam's shirt was practically soaked.

"You should go change into something dry," Jack ordered gently and Sam nodded.

"I think I will."

"Don't worry, I will save you a piece of cake," he promised, and that drew a little laugh from Sam. After everything that they had been through – and everything that she knew that he had been through – he was showing her a playful, almost boyish side of himself that she liked very much. He was charming in his innocent enthusiasm for simple things such as cake, and for a split second, she thought that she would like to spend her life with somebody like him; somebody who could enjoy simple things so much.

Without turning away from him, she moved slowly backwards in the direction of her tent, unable to take her eyes off him. He was handsome as he gave her a half-smirk, and part of her hated herself for not being able to shed the attraction that she felt for him.

The other part desperately wanted to take him up on his offer and explore all the shades of 'playing unfair' that he had referred to. If she just didn't feel so insecure about him…

After the night at O'Malley's she had taken a long time to recover from the feeling of having her heart broken, and she was just not willing to go down that road again – with the same person.

Over the past months that they had worked together, she had come to respect Jack O'Neill, and she even considered him a friend now. However, she had also learned that he was not looking for a relationship. All of the women that he had hooked up with in the past had been one-night adventures; that much she had learned from the talk at camp.

Sam knew that she would not be able to stand having to let him go after one night. Therefore, it was better not to dwell on the idea, but focus on their friendship as teammates, her work, and the tasks at hand.

The snow and ice would soon melt, and within two weeks, the landscape around them would transform into a thriving summer landscape again. They would be able to resume their gate travel activities, and that fact alone was enough to lift Sam's spirits.

She longed to get back out there and explore other worlds – but she also knew that, as soon as things returned to normal at camp, she would have to face Jack O'Neill in a conversation and tell him the truth about who she really was. She owed it to him and besides, she didn't want to risk her position in his team and as a member of the resistance.

If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that there had been a number of opportunities recently to ask him for a private conversation, but for some reason, she just couldn't muster the courage.

The prospect of telling him that she had lied to him about almost every aspect of her life scared her. She feared that she would lose his friendship, and his respect, and that he would throw her out of the resistance for good. Most importantly of all, it devastated her that admitting the extent to which she had lied to him would disappoint him. Again.

Sometime soon, she would have to talk to him and tell him everything – and maybe some small part of him would understand her. After all, he had been through the same. He could relate to what it felt like to be forcefully married, and he might also understand the need to be careful about revealing one's identity if one didn't want to be found. Maybe he would be able to forgive her.

She had originally planned to get things straight with him as soon as the sun was back, but fate didn't grant her that luxury. They were still busily trying to get operations running back at normal, when the entire web of lies that she had woven was exposed in the worst possible way – and the most unexpected one.

_**Next chapter will be the long awaited chapter 20… and it will follow in 2-3 days. :)**_

_Couldn't resist there with the last sentence of this chapter. I know it's blatant 'dime-novel'-style foreshadowing… ;) But I always wanted to try using it, so… here it is._

_The next chapter will be the one with the big revelation! Now, for the fun of it:_**_ Let's make this a little giveaway-game. ;) _**_(I've always wanted to create a giveaway, so I'll call this a test run…)_

**_What do you think will their reaction be? More specifically: How do you think a) Sam will react b) Jack will react and c) Jacob will react?_**

**_Post your guesses into your review and include the phrase "GIVEAWAY" somewhere in your review (so that I know you're willing to participate) until Saturday afternoon/evening when I will post chapter 20 (essentially you have time until chapter 20 is posted. I can't pinpoint the exact time.). _**

_Out of everybody who participates, I will draw a winner randomly. The winner will receive a free Sam/Jack fanart postcard (sent in an envelope) of his or her choosing (either "Stardust" or "If Only" – the links to each image are in my profile. Just click my author's name.). _

_The winner will be notified via PM and at the beginning of Chapter 21. Guest reviews WILL NOT COUNT! That is simply for reasons of fairness. 1. I don't know if not maybe the same person posts more than review as a guest. And 2. I will be unable to verify who the winner is, because even if a person contacts me afterwards, saying they were the one who posted the review, I have no way of verifying that. _

_I know most of you have fanfictionnet accounts, so please log on if you want to participate and post your review as your account so you can be contacted._

_Since my beta-readers already know the chapter, they cannot participate. :( Sorry for that… (but I will give you both a free postcard as well for your help – provided you want it.)_

_**One little thing:** When I refer to chapter numbers, I am referring to the numbers of the chapters in MY count, not in fanfictionnet's count! Usually, the Prologue doesn't count as a chapter, but fanfictionnet automatically counted it as chapter 1. So when I say chapter 20, I mean MY chapter 20 – which would be listed as chapter 21 on fanfictionnet._

_(Damn, I hate this. Why can't they just give me the option to create a prologue? Many stories have prologues!)_

**And Review-Response Time! :D**

_**mmkbrook: **__Sam and Jack are playing an intimate game indeed. Jack is a lot more lose now, after hearing that Jacob's daughter ran away, because he doesn't expect his marriage to ever be more than a signature on paper. So he is more than willing to start dating Sam now._

_And Sam, albeit cautious, is very much interested in him. But she still has the vivid memory of the last time she let her guard down with him, and she doesn't understand his change in behavior. But she knows, she doesn't want to be hurt again…_

_If they hadn't had the O'Malley's incident, they would probably have landed in bed already… :P Maybe… who knows… that would be an alternate-alternate universe. ;)_

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma: **__And here you go! ;) Next chapter… Chapter 20 will be up in 2 days._

_**Saissa:**__ Yep, I love Solitudes… and the snuggling for Heat. There'll be another 'Solitudes' version later on… but not snuggling for heat. ;)_

_I was a little cautious about Jack's character here. It is so easy to cross the line from smugness to 'jerk'. ;) Then again, Jack can be quite a jerk at times… so why not I guess. But I didn't want him to come over as a pig or something. _

_I'm glad that I seem to have managed to do that. _

_And I love Window of Opportunity as well! So much shippiness in there!_

_**ALIMOO1971:**__ Don't worry… they will zip their sleeping bags together eventually. ;) And there will be need for room to move around in believe me… but not just yet. We're not even half through with the story… :P_

_**vcm: **__Sorry for the shorter chapters! :( They can't all be 15-20 pages in Word. But Chapter 20 will be longer… and so will chapter 21 if I remember correctly. ;)_

_**Yol: **__This story lives from ist ups and downs. ;) And even after they get together, there will be ups and downs. I really hope that people won't stop reading after they get together, but stick with it until the end… because in a way they only really get together then. _

_**Channach: **__Yes, well… :P People take so much time out of their lives not only to read the story, but to write reviews and comments about it, so they deserve answers and little hints. :)_

_**EvilTheLast: **__I'm glad you still like it, and that you are still reading. :)_

_**avonleashores: **__You hate me now, don't you? More UST in this chapter… and maybe even a bit more explicit than in the last, because Sam is a bit more open to Jack's flirtations. ;) _

_I'm glad you think they are in character. I don't think Jack would be mushy – not even in our reality. He is a pragmatic mostly. He takes the situations at face value and doesn't think much about them. Sam is the thinker; the analyst. _

_I don't know, maybe it's a cliché (and we all know how we feel about those :P ) but with Jack's background, I think he cannot afford to be mushy or overly romantic. Most guys who have fought in an army (and basically the resistance is nothing else) for 10 years aren't overly emotional even in private._

_Sam is still young, and she doesn't have the experience of a decade in the resistance, as Jack does. She is allowed to be emotional, and make mistakes. And I think in one chapter I even addressed that (Chapter 15?), where Jack ponders that he really doesn't want her to become as cold as he has become._

_I don't know… I always feel like I am moving a very fine line with these characters, and a lot of the time I am not sure if I get it right. Until I read my beta-reader's comments and the reviews… ;)_

_**Guest:**__ The Talk will happen in Chapter 20. ;) On Saturday… I hope you can wait until then… _

_**Sequinn:**__ Some more fun Sam/Jack banter and flirtations for you. ;) And are you kidding me? I LOVE Review-Response-Time! I browsed through other stories and I can't believe other author's don't do it. _

_Usually, I replied to reviews by PM in other writings… but I figured, this way it is so much nicer, because it's an actual dialogue – and it encourages people to be honest too maybe. ;)_

_**Ann84:**__ Yes, I think everybody involved is up for a pretty big surprise… :D_

_**louisa78:**__ Skin on skin was hot and very fun to write indeed. ;) And it was of course a reference to the heat-snuggling in Solitudes – in which Jack was hurt, so it doesn't count. But in this he wasn't hurt… so it was a lot more fun to write._

_**erinn80:**__ Oy… __I hope that was a compliment? :D Your metaphor about watching two trains about to collide and waiting for the explosion? _

_It wasn't exactly a pleasant image… I couldn't help cringing while imagining it, so I hope you aren't cringing when you read the story. ;)_

_**LoneWolfOneill: **__Jerry Springer? O.o I really hope it will be classier than Jerry Springer. ;) But I am glad you liked it, and also that you commented on Daniel's reaction. I worked very hard on that one, because I wanted him to be in character… :D_

_**dpdp: **__About the ranks: that's what I thought. But a few people were pointing out that the ranks didn't fit the Air Force… so I thought I should make this point clear. :)_

_Whenever something like this comes up, I am posting it so openly, so that people can respond and tell me why something doesn't make sense. A lot of the times it really is my fault, because I didn't make something clear enough… ;)_

_**Jforg:**__ Glad you are still hooked on the story. :) I was a little worried that people would start to get bored with it after all the UST and all. ;)_

_**Sg1hugefan:**__ Wow, thank you! That is a huge compliment. I hope you'll continue to like the story. :) It isn't easy to write, and it's becoming more and more complex, but it's so much fun. And reading that people like it makes it even more fun. _


	21. Chapter 20 - Wasting All These Tears

_Thanks so much to __**esmejasper**__ for the great job with grammar and spelling and __**Channach**__ for checking for plot-mistakes and offering constructive criticism! You two continue to amaze me!_

_And __**thank you to everybody who participated in the Giveaway**__. It is now over and entries will not be accepted anymore!_

_Some of your guesses about their reactions really surprised me. I will answer all of the reviews under the stories as usual. I am just hoping that you won't be disappointed by the reactions._

**Chapter 20 – Wasting All These Tears on You**

It had been a calm day so far. Sam was walking with Janet towards the food stand to get their meal rations; they were planning to meet up with Vala to eat together. They had no missions scheduled, and no team was off-world and due back.

That meant that Sam had plenty of time to focus all of her concentration on analyzing some of the artifacts – something that she had been meaning to do for some time. And it also meant that she could have lunch with her friends without having to rush through it.

Despite the fact that polar night had ended only a few days before, the temperature had risen swiftly and the days were already mild and getting steadily warmer – a fact that some of the resistance members were having problems with. Janet had had to treat ten cases of severe headaches already since that morning.

The change in temperature was extreme – it always was, every year anew; due to the Aschen weather control systems that transformed Antarctica back to a lush green forest landscape as soon as the sun returned. The ground was still muddy and moist from the molten snow, but during the coming weeks the mud would dry and grass would start to grow again.

Sam and Janet were trudging through the mud together. Sam was describing in detail an artifact that she had taken apart earlier that day, Janet listening and nodding, when a small group of strangers caught her eye.

They were different in more than one regard: for one, they were not wearing camp uniforms. They were townspeople, who were apparently helping to move the shipment of technology into their camp - which in itself was nothing out of the ordinary. It happened on occasion, that some of the people from town helped with larger shipments of technology or weapons.

However, the man who was walking at the head of the group stood out, because he was visibly more distinguished from the townspeople. Sam recognized him immediately, and she didn't want to believe her own eyes: it was Jacob Carter, her father.

The young woman froze on the spot, praying inwardly that he would not see her – a wish that was completely futile given the fact that he was less than 10 meters away from her, and walking straight towards her. What the hell was he doing here? Had he tracked her down? Maybe he had seen her in Washington after all?

The moment Jacob set eyes on her, his steps faltered. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened slightly as he stared at his daughter; Sam's feelings of surprise and disbelief reflected plainly on his face.

"Sam, what's the matter?" Janet turned back in confusion when she realized that her friend had stopped talking and was now immobile.

Sam didn't answer her. She simply turned around and walked away, slowly at first, then her steps started to come faster and faster, until she was almost running up the little hill to where the command tent was.

This was bad. This was really bad. She had no idea what her father was doing here, but she knew that there was no way that the truth wouldn't come out, and it was better that Jack O'Neill learned it from her than from him. She entered the command tent like a whirlwind, ignoring all protocol of announcing her presence first.

"I need to talk to you Sir!" She was breathless from running, and Jack looked up from the file he was working on in confusion and mild concern.

"Carter. What's wrong?"

She went around the table, "Sir, I actually intended to talk to you for a while now, but I couldn't work up the nerve. It seems I don't have another choice now, and I'm sorry it has to come out like this."

"Okay…" he replied, putting his pen down and getting up when he saw how upset she was.

"You were right. I lied to you!" She had to stop and catch her breath, while her eyes held his desperately.

Jack's face had hardened, but he remained calm and just nodded at her. "Go on."

"I am not…"

She stopped abruptly when the canvas that covered the entrance of the command tent flew open and Jacob Carter stormed into the tent. Much like his daughter before, he ignored all protocol of announcing his presence.

Jack turned around, confused at first, but his face lit up when he saw his old friend. "Jacob…"

"So what, you're just going to run from me for the rest of your life?" The older man's voice interrupted him angrily.

Jack looked at him in utter confusion, until he realized that Jacob was not talking to him at all, but to the woman next to him. Jacob knew Sam? Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What's going on?"

Sam had turned her head when the canvas flew open so that she was facing away from the entrance, some part inside of her still having foolishly hoped that her father would not confront her. Of course, that hope had been in vain. With a deep breath, she slowly turned around to face him.

"Do you even know what we have been through during the past nine months? Hell, at this point we assumed that you were dead!"

"What's going on? Carter?" Jack emphasized more urgently with raised eyebrows, turning around to face his friend now. "Jacob?"

"Dad…" Sam finally said pleadingly, looking at the older man with a desperate expression on her face.

"Dad?!" Jack repeated with complete disbelief audible in his voice, and suddenly all the pieces in his mind started coming together. Sam Carter. Carter. This woman was Jacob Carter's daughter! How the hell was that possible?

"Jack!" Jacob looked at him now, almost angrily, "Don't tell me she was here with you all along!"

Jack shook his head, speechless for a moment, still trying to process the information. "Honestly, Jacob… I didn't know she was your…" His voice trailed off, when the full impact of the truth started to dawn on him. Not only was she Jacob's daughter; Sam Carter was also and more importantly his wife. This beautiful, stunningly courageous, and incredibly smart young woman was his wife!

His initial enthusiasm about the realization quickly started to wear off when he realized that she had been just as unaware of who he was, as he had been unaware of her identity. Moreover, given everything that he had learned about her, she would probably be anything but happy once she learned about the extent of her affiliation with him.

"What do you mean, you didn't know?" Jacob ranted. "I described her to you, and her name was in the contract."

"Hey!" Jack started defensively now that the man's rage was apparently directed at him, "You told me she had long, blonde hair! And frankly, as far as I was concerned, I didn't even know she had run away until a few weeks ago, since you failed to inform me! I met her in a pub up in Ireland, so how on Earth do you expect me to even remotely consider the possibility that she might be your daughter?" Jack's anger was matching that of the older man now. "She said she didn't have any family left, for crying out loud. And look at her! I wouldn't exactly say that she fits the description you gave me! She told me she was from a small town near the pacific coast!"

"You told him you don't have any family?" Jacob ranted, turning to face his daughter with an angry glare.

Sam was still trying to understand what was happening. She hadn't quite followed the conversation when her father and Jack angrily started to accuse each other of misinformation. How did they know each other? How did Jack even know that she used to have long hair?

"Dad, I'm really sorry that I worried you." Sam's initially apologetic tone quickly turned into anger. "But I tried to talk to you. You weren't even listening to me! You just gave your orders and expected me to follow them without even considering my feelings! You ordered me to marry a stranger! Did you really think that I would just accept that and go on with my life as if nothing had happened?"

"So you just decided to leave everything behind and run away to join the resistance?" The older man snapped and shook his head. "I can't believe this! I guess I have to commend you on even making it this far, though."

Jack slowly sank back down into his chair. This was bad. He could see from the fierce and angry expression on the young woman's face that not only did she not agree with the marriage contract, but she was furious about it. The worst part was that he was her husband – a fact that, apparently, she wasn't even aware of yet. Jack began to realize that, as soon as she learned, her anger would be targeted at him as well. This was really bad.

"Okay, this is kinda screwed up…" he started, his mind desperately trying to come up with a way to break the news to Sam that would not make him look completely insensitive, and not fuel her rage.

Jacob looked at him ironically. "You think, Jack? Well, at least there's one good aspect to all of this."

Jack winced and shook his head softly, trying to signal Jacob to not finish that sentence, but the older man was too outraged to notice his gesture. "Since you two have gotten to know each other, I assume you won't be quite so stubborn about the entire matter anymore, Sam. You seem to get along quite well with your husband."

Jack covered his face with both his hands and leaned back in his chair with a muffled moan. Sometimes, he just wanted to shoot the older man.

"My what?" Sam asked, her eyes narrowing, and when her father folded his arms and looked at Jack, she slowly turned her head. "This is a joke, right?"

Jack sighed and looked at Jacob sarcastically. "You had to drop it like that, didn't you?"

Everything about Jacob's posture made clear that he didn't realize how much worse he had just made the situation.

Inhaling deeply, Jack turned to face Sam. "Look, Carter… Sam…" he corrected himself given their status as a married couple.

He got up to stand in front of her, his hands reaching out to touch her upper arms. Sam didn't even let him finish. She swiftly stepped back from him, shaking her head in disbelief and looking at him as though she was seeing him for the first time. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Sam…" Jack started again gently. Her face looked as if her entire world had just started to crumble around her. "You have to believe me, I didn't know you were…"

He reached out to her. His touch was soft but she wrenched away from him as though he had burned her, her face becoming a combination of fury, desperation, and pain. "Don't you dare touch me!"

"Sam."

"No! Don't you ever touch me again!" she said, her voice breaking, as tears sprung into her eyes. "How could you agree to that over my head? You of all people… after all that you went through with your own forced marriage? After all that we've…" Her voice broke off and she closed her eyes, desperately trying to fight the tears that were burning in her eyes. She would not give him or her father the satisfaction of crying over this in front of them.

"Hey, I…didn't agree! At first." Jack started gently. "This whole thing wasn't even my idea! Your father assured me that he would convince you…" Rage started to well up inside of him and he turned to Jacob, his anger now directed at the older man. "You assured me that she would be okay with it!"

"I didn't think she would turn out to be this stubborn!" Jacob snapped back. "Or that she would run away! Hell, you were the one who was with her for almost 9 months without the thought ever crossing your mind that she was my daughter, even though I had described her to you in detail!"

"YOU TOLD ME SHE HAD LONG HAIR! And you never even informed me that she was missing!" Jack insisted stubbornly, his voice getting louder now. Both men became silent when the sound of Sam's sarcastic chuckle interrupted them.

"Well," she started, "I am desperately sorry to disappoint you. I am sorry that I am apparently more stubborn than my father advertised. And I am sorry my physical features don't meet your expectations." She shook her head and glared first at her father, then at Jack. "This is unbelievable. How dare you talk about me as if I am a piece of meat to be bought and sold? You are despicable, both of you!"

With those dangerously calmly spoken words, she turned around and walked towards the exit.

"Sam… wait!" Jack tried to call her back, but the young woman ignored him.

Just before she left the tent, she turned around once more. "And just so you know: I never signed any contract. As far as I am concerned, I am not married to anybody – least of all to you… SIR."

Jack winced at the outrageously ironic tone with which she pronounced the address.

"Sam!" he tried to call her back again, but had to watch her leave. His eyes rested in absolute horror on the canvas through which she had left, and then he glared at Jacob. "Thanks for that! Couldn't you at least give me the chance to work the marriage-thing in somewhat – um – diplomatically!"

"You had nine months for that – besides, if I recall correctly, diplomacy isn't exactly one of your strengths!" Jacob snapped back.

"I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS…" Jack started and then closed his eyes. This discussion was obviously futile, and it wouldn't serve to find a productive solution for their problem either. Therefore, he switched subject after a moment. "Great, so now what?"

"What do you mean, now what?" Jacob asked angrily. "She's your wife, Jack. I will make it very clear to her that, if she wants to stay here and keep working at camp, she'll have to come to terms with that."

"Hey!" Jack interrupted him. "I don't really think pressuring her like that will make her feelings work more in my favor."

The way he said it made Jacob falter for a moment. The older man cocked his head and folded his arms, studying his friend for a moment, before the realization dawned on him. "You really care about her."

Jack looked up from his desk, a mildly annoyed look on his face. He was reluctant to admit to Jacob exactly how deep his feelings for Sam ran, although in the context of their recently revealed marriage he couldn't put his finger on why. "I value her, both in the field and as a person. She's a brilliant asset to the resistance and I would be remiss as her commanding officer if I didn't recognize and acknowledge her strengths. If anybody can take care of themselves, she can!"

"Jack, please…"

"I mean it, Jacob! I've seen her in training and in the field over the past months. She's been working on my team. Granted, we had our difficulties in the beginning, but she's turned out to be not only a kickass soldier, but also one of the smartest scientists I know! She was the one who came up with the new dial-in procedure for the Aschen computer." Jack said, gentler now. "She's resourceful and capable, and the resistance needs her! I need her – on my team, and by my side."

"I don't see a problem with that. I am just happy to know that she is alive. She is your wife, and we wanted to bring her into the resistance anyway. So if she wants to stay, and work in the sciences, I am fine with that. I would prefer it though, if from now on you refrained from using her in the field."

"I can't do that. She's part of my team."

"Jack, she is very smart. Surely, you can find a position in one of the science teams instead that is more tailored to her knowledge and where she's less likely to get killed in an ambush." Jacob sighed sadly. "We did want her to be a part of the resistance, but the front line was always out of the question."

"Jacob…" Jack started, shaking his head with a sigh. He didn't like to be put into this situation. Essentially, he had to decide whether to agree to what Jacob, one of his oldest friends, wanted or to agree to the wishes of the woman who, as he had just learned, was his wife. He just knew that Sam would be devastated if he took her out of his team and put her on permanent science duty. Especially because there was no professional reason to do that.

"I'll think about it," he finally announced with a tortured sigh, not sure about what to do.

He liked Carter; he liked working with her and, despite her recent slip-up on the mission in Washington, he trusted her.

On the other hand, she had lied to him on a scale that was just beyond comprehension. Nothing that she had told him about herself had been the truth. He could feel mild anger bubbling inside of him as he began to realize that, if she had told him the truth about who she was from the start, this entire situation could have been prevented.

If she had told him where she was really from and who her family was, he would have made the connection right away. Things would have gone down a lot differently. Therefore, it really wasn't fair of her to blame all of what had happened on him.

Despite all of that, he really hated the thought of giving her up as his teammate, because she was good. He could also understand Jacob's concern – and to an extent he even shared it. He knew that, as a camp commander, he was not allowed to have favorites – not under normal circumstances. However, Sam had turned out to be his wife! Surely, he was allowed to experience a certain amount of trepidation at the prospect of sending her off world into possible danger. Surely, he was allowed to care for her.

Which brought him to another problem: she didn't want the marriage.

"Jacob, she is quite obviously opposed to this marriage. I agreed to sign the contract only on the condition that you would convince her of the merits of the agreement!"

"Are you telling me that in all this time that she was working on your team, you two haven't even developed a friendship? Surely you can work out a deal around the contract." Jacob countered, and then his face became stern. "I will talk to her."

"Jacob… do me a favor," Jack murmured, his head starting to hurt now, as he was sensing that he was losing Sam Carter – as an asset as well as a friend; and Jacob Carter's stubborn attitude certainly wasn't improving things. "Let the matter rest for a while. Just… let me handle it." When his friend looked at him darkly, Jack eventually shrugged, "She's my wife after all. That legally makes her my responsibility. I will talk to her. I'm sure I can bring her round."

That argument seemed to convince the man, and he shrugged. "Alright… as long as you resolve the matter and get her to agree to the contract, I am fine with that."

Sam, who had stood in front of the tent the entire time, couldn't believe her own ears. Jack O'Neill was still agreeing to this marriage, even though he knew she didn't want it. And on top of that, he had the audacity to proclaim that he could somehow talk her into it?

Fisting her hands at her sides, she turned around and stormed off to the science camp. She did not intend to ever agree to the contract, and there was no way that he or her father would change her mind.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

The instant Sam heard somebody enter the tent behind her, she knew that it was him. She had been walking to her personal tent as he was coming up from the food tent; she knew he had seen her and followed her.

"Don't even start!" she announced and spun around, staring at her commanding officer angrily.

"Carter…" he tried to ease her down, but she shook her head.

"I don't want to talk to you; not now and not anytime in the foreseeable future."

"Sam." He tried again, this time using the more intimate address to bring them onto more personal grounds – a big mistake as he learned quickly.

"And don't address me as if we were friends. Apparently I don't know you at all – and you don't know me."

"You're angry." He stated dryly. "I understand that… but can't we at least talk about how to proceed from here?"

"Why don't you talk about that with my father?" Sam asked coldly, her tone sharp. "You two seem to be doing so well in planning my life for me."

"Fer cryin out loud…" Jack muttered, holding the angry gaze of the young woman. "I only agreed to the contract because I thought it would help you."

"And how about demoting me?" Sam snapped. Jack stared at her cluelessly.

"What?"

"I heard you two… you're going to take me out of the field and put me into science permanently, because he asked you to. Is that how things are going to be from now on? My father makes the decisions and you implement them?"

Crap, Jack thought quietly. So she had heard that. "Actually…" he corrected her, "I said that I would think about it, because I don't like having to decide things on the spot like that. Your father put me in a difficult position. I said I would consider it, so I did, but I have no intention of pulling you out of the field and I told him as much about ten minutes ago."

"Oh, well…" Sam muttered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "In that case… I guess we can live happily ever after, since you only seem to have my best interests at mind."

"I didn't do it for you," Jack announced calmly, deciding to ignore her sharp mockery. "I don't like it when personal affairs mess with my professional decisions – and pulling you out of the field for no other reason but to protect you is just the kind of personal reasons that I never wanted to let interfere with work."

"Oh, so you're saying that you personally do want to pull me out of the field?" Sam scoffed angrily. She couldn't even begin to describe the humiliation she felt about the fact that he had even considered demoting her. Therefore, she put on a cold façade, unwilling to let him in on her feelings.

"That's not what I meant… Listen, I'm sorry for how this turned out," Jack eventually offered. "But if you had told me the truth about who you were from the start, it wouldn't have come to this."

Sam folded her arms and shook her head. "I see, so this is all my fault. How on Earth was I supposed to know that my father was in the resistance? As far as I knew, he was one of the highest-ranking collaborators in the Aschen ministry. Yes, I lied to you, and it has been weighing on my mind for weeks! But considering what I thought about him can you blame me? And, between you, I can't really say that you and my father won any honesty medals either!"

"I never lied to you," Jack reminded her in a gentle tone. "And if I had known who you were, I wouldn't have…"

"What?" Sam interrupted him snappily. "You wouldn't have been so hard on me during training and missions? You would have protected me? Kept me out of danger?" She was talking herself more and more into rage. "I don't want that. I don't NEED that!" she clarified and turned away from him to pick up one of her books from the stack next to her bed. "Granted, Sir, I am not the best soldier, but I fought my way through boot camp training and learned how to defend myself! I completed all of the required training exams. I am at least good enough to make it in the field. You thought so before you knew about that damn marriage contract! I want to be respected as a soldier – not protected from life and treated like a weak little woman!"

Jack looked at her seriously, realizing that it would be useless to start trying to convince her that what she said wasn't true. He did respect her – very much so! But he realized that she was too angry to hear it. Whatever he said, she wouldn't believe him. Finally, he inhaled deeply. "Alright, what do you suggest?"

"As far as I am concerned, the marriage contract is invalid. There is nothing else to suggest. Now if you don't mind, Sir, I have to read through this book, and then finish that artifact report that I've been working on for the past two days."

Jack looked at her incredulously, feeling anger welling up inside of him. She couldn't just dismiss him like that. "Sam, I wasn't really excited about the marriage either!"

"And yet you confidently proclaimed to my father to leave the matter in your hands, because you would convince me how good an idea being married to you was. How exactly am I supposed to take that comment? Unless you genuinely believe that tale you told me about not needing drugs to seduce a woman and it's only a matter of time before I inevitably surrender to your charms?"

Crap, Jack winced inwardly. So she had heard that part too. "Actually…" he started, not sure about what to reply. He had only said that because he had wanted to keep Jacob from making the situation worse by pressuring her. Instead, he had – once again – diverted her anger from her father back onto himself. It seemed that he just wouldn't be able to win. So finally, he shrugged. "I know it is probably useless to say this, but I didn't mean it that way. Maybe we should both cool down and think about the matter for a while."

"I have nothing to think about." Sam announced, and before Jack could reply anything else, the mosquito net of the tent behind him opened, and Janet, Vala and Daniel came in.

Slightly confused at the presence of their commanding officer, they looked from Sam, who was sitting on her bed, eyes fixated on her book, to Jack, who looked visibly uneasy about their presence.

"Sorry, um… are we interrupting something?" Daniel asked in a combination of awkwardness and curiosity. Before Jack could answer something, Sam shook her head.

"No, Daniel. We're finished. The Colonel was just leaving."

Jack looked down at her again, and then eventually just turned around fuming and left the tent without another word. He didn't like to be dismissed like that, and under normal circumstances, he would not have accepted it. However, he didn't want to make a scene in front of their friends, and aside from that, maybe it would be best if they both calmed down first.

Vala, Janet and Daniel looked after their commanding officer slack-jawed and then turned their eyes back on Sam.

"What in the world was that all about?" Janet asked in confusion.

"I'm married…" Sam merely informed them coldly, her voice reflecting the anger she felt inside.

"You're what?" Vala asked raising her eyebrows, shooting confused glances from her to Janet and back to her.

"You're married." Daniel repeated matter-of-factly. "Okay. What does that have to do with…?"

"I didn't agree to it. My father negotiated the marriage contract against my will when he learned that I was gifted."

"Your father…" Daniel repeated again, still confused about the random bits of information that he received, "I thought you didn't have any family left."

"I lied." Sam interrupted him, and closed her eyes. "My father is alive, and he's here at camp."

"Here at camp… Jacob Carter is your father?" Daniel deduced correctly, his wide eyes staring at her incredulously, when the realization dawned on him. "You're Jacob's daughter?"

When Sam looked up at him slightly annoyed, and Vala and Janet looked at him quizzically, obviously not having a clue whom he was talking about, Daniel shrugged.

"Jacob Carter has been a member of the resistance for almost thirty years; one of only a handful people who are working at the Aschen ministry as active members actually. He and Jack have been friends ever since Jack joined the resistance, and he visits camp occasionally. Jack introduced me to him a few years ago."

Sam's face became blank for a moment, as all the pieces started to fall into place. That was why her father had been on the science fair in Washington; he'd been the contact that Jack had wanted to meet. All those years that she had thought that her father was collaborating with the Aschen, he had actually worked for the resistance as one of their most important members.

Sam stared unfocused at a point on the tent wall. "Jack O'Neill is my husband." She confessed quietly after a short silence.

Janet's eyes widened, Vala became uncharacteristically frozen, and Daniel almost choked.

"Excuse me?" The archeologist spluttered.

"Apparently, O'Neill is the man my father married me off to. He never told me the name of the guy. I learned earlier that Jack O'Neill is my husband."

"So you are the one…" Daniel said, more to himself, and Sam looked up in disbelief.

"You knew about this?!"

"Well… yes… no…" He hurried to correct when Sam stared at him as if she was about ready to kill him. "I didn't know it was you! Back when Jack told you that he was married, I asked him about it, and he told me the story; that he had agreed to marry the daughter of one of his friends. He also said, though, that he didn't believe the marriage was ever going to be more than a signature on a paper," Daniel interjected, his voice becoming soft. "Sam, shouldn't you be happy about this?"

Both the eyes of Vala and Janet shot to him, their faces showing their outraged disbelief.

"Well, maybe not exactly happy, but…" Daniel hurried to correct himself. "I mean, you like Jack, right? Now that you know that he was actually telling the truth about being married and that it is you to whom he's married, there shouldn't be anything left that's standing between you two. You can actually be together!"

"We can what?" Sam asked, glaring at him now as she got up. "He agreed to marry me, over my head! He didn't even bother to check whether or not I was okay with it – let alone get to know me a bit beforehand. Hell, he didn't even care enough to find out my name when he signed! He and my father just negotiated it like… you would negotiate selling a dog! And to top it all, he has the arrogance to believe that he can somehow woo me into this arrangement! And you honestly believe I should be thankfully falling into his arms?"

"Fine, I know Jack can be an ass sometimes," Daniel interrupted her softly, realizing that his friend had probably not handled the situation in a very sensitive way. "But what else do you want to do?"

"I never want to see him again," Sam announced weakly and closed her book with a sigh. She hated the hurt that she felt inside when she thought about the situation. "I have worked so hard on my position here, and I don't want to give that up, so that isn't an option. The problem is just that I don't want this marriage – and he apparently does."

"Of course he does," Daniel added ironically with a little sigh and shook his head. He knew his friend, and he knew about his feelings for Sam – and he was also aware of the fact that sometimes Jack displayed the diplomatic skills of a bull in a china shop, so he could already imagine how the talk between them had gone down. "Sam, I know it's hard to believe, but the man really cares about you."

"Sam," Janet remarked softly when her friend just scoffed ironically as a response to Daniel's revelation, "You care about him too, don't you?"

Sam remained quiet, because she really couldn't deny Janet's statement. She did care about Jack – which was why his betrayal felt all the worse. Of all the people that she knew, he was the last one whom she had ever expected to agree to a forced marriage contract like that. Everything that they had ever talked about, concerning his first marriage, and how much he despised those kinds of arrangements had apparently been just empty words.

He had told her how much of a torture his first marriage had been for his ex-wife, and yet he had been willing to put another woman through that torture. Her mind couldn't even begin to grasp the extent to which she felt he had betrayed her. She wasn't willing to forgive him.

She hadn't known him at all.

Or maybe, in her mind she had been so desperate to find somebody who would be able to understand her situation, that she had just projected her ideal idea of a man on him. After all, most of the gifted men were like him. They didn't care about their wives; they just complied with the marriage contracts. So why should he have been different?

It didn't matter anymore. She was done with him.

Briefly, she considered the possibility to ask for reassignment into another resistance cell. Even though cell 4 was the only cell employing a science camp, science was not her only skill. She had become a decent fighter in the field, and with a little bit more training, she might be able to shift to on-world missions instead.

On the other hand, this had become her home during the past nine months. It was where her friends were, and it was where she could work in the field that she loved. She didn't want to go anywhere else and let one man destroy the life that she had built. She wanted to stay here, and most importantly go through the Stargate again.

It was what she had lived for until now… and she wouldn't let anybody take it away from her.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

When Jacob Carter first entered the tent that served as his daughter's workplace, he didn't even see her. He looked around, and raised his eyebrows when he realized that the room was stacked with all kinds of different scientific devices, computers, books and gadgets.

Then he saw her. Sam Carter was sitting at a desk in between a few parts of some alien technology, her head bent over a book, which she was obviously absorbed in reading. She looked completely focused, and didn't even realize that somebody had entered the tent.

For a moment, Jacob just studied her. She had changed since he had last seen her. She looked more mature, and her rather frail stature had changed: she looked strong, her entire body showing well-defined muscles – without a doubt the result of months of training that she had received. She had grown up.

He had gone through some of the mission reports that she had been involved with, and he couldn't deny that he was impressed. Even her personnel file reflected the profound change that she had gone through. She had more than one record of disrespectful behavior and insubordination on her boot camp training record, but then seemed to have undergone a complete turnaround.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was proud of her; of what she had managed to achieve on her own. However, he was still hurt about the way she had done it.

After a moment, Jacob cleared his throat to announce his presence, and his daughter looked up. Her face took on a distant expression when she saw who the visitor was, and she rose from her chair hesitantly.

"What do you want?"

"Not even a hello?" Jacob tried to lighten up the mood, but his daughter just folded her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"You know, you could have sent me a note, a letter, anything, just to let me know that you were still alive." Jacob opened, his tone a bit more accusing than he had intended it to be.

"What, so that you could track it and make sure I live up to your marriage contract?" Sam countered and the older man's eyes narrowed.

"What I did, I did only with your best interests in mind, Sam. You didn't need to run away. I had already talked your future over with Jack. He was going to bring you into the resistance as a scientist. If you had come to me and talked to me before…," he started explaining which caused a new wave of anger to rise in Sam.

"I did try to talk to you, dad. And I don't need you – or Colonel O'Neill – to be protective of me! As you can see, I made my way into the resistance all by myself," she replied snippily, and Jacob nodded.

"Yes, you did. And from what I have read, you have become quite an exceptional addition. I'm just saying… if you had trusted me, it wouldn't have been so hard on you."

"No, I would have gotten in under the protection of you and my 'husband', and stayed under his constant observation – is that what you're saying?" Sam scoffed, and shook her head. "You don't get it, dad! I don't want that. I never did! The way I did it, I learned to fight and defend myself like every other soldier. I don't want anybody going easy on me just because I'm THE Jacob Carter's daughter – or the wife of the camp commander! Of course, I assume, that's going to change from now on," she added with a hint of despair in her voice. "You have no idea how hard I have worked to get where I am, dad! And I won't let you, or anybody else take that away from me now, just because you think as a woman – and a gifted one at that – or as your daughter and his wife, that I am somehow in need of protection."

"So what?" Jacob snapped, irritated by Sam's continuing antagonism. "I am your father; it's my right to worry about you! And there is nothing wrong with being protected!"

"Depends on your perspective, I guess." Sam muttered, and Jacob exploded.

"Sam, I have worked undercover in the active field for almost thirty years now! It is not a pleasant life, having to live with the constant fear of being found out or maybe not returning home – especially when you have children! I did everything I could to keep you safe! Sometimes I did things I despised in order to keep you safe. If you worked solely in science, you wouldn't have to deal with the fear and pressure that comes with field duty. That's why I wanted to get you into that line of work."

"See, that's just the thing, dad, this is my life! It doesn't matter what you want for my life! It is MY choice. This is what I want! This is what I worked for! Going through the Stargate to other planets is what I have dreamed about ever since I started studying the gate! I don't care if it is dangerous! I am working for my people, to free them of the Aschen occupation!" Sam snapped and shut the book she had been studying with a loud slamming sound. "You made the decision to join the resistance without anybody interfering. Hell, you didn't even think it was necessary to tell me that you were not actually a collaborator. Now all I ask is that you let me do the same!"

"That was different!" Jacob countered angrily. "I am…"

"…a man, dad?" Sam snapped and shook her head.

"…your father." Jacob corrected and looked at her. "And I didn't pay for all of your education, so that you could get yourself shot out there in the field – or worse, land in one of the Aschen prisons!"

Sam stared at him for a moment, then she shook her head, giving an ironic little laugh. "You know, this is just so typical. Whenever I don't do what you want, you bring up all the things that you have done for me to guilt me into giving in… but I can't agree to your terms. Not this time!"

"Sam…"

"I have my friends here, my work – all of which I achieved by myself! I don't want to give that up! And I will not agree to any marriage contract signed above my head that essentially robs me of all my rights. If and when I decide to marry, it will be to a person and at a time of my choosing, not of yours!" Sam went on, and Jacob leaned forward on the desk now.

"I'm afraid that matter is not open for discussion, Sam. The contract was signed and approved by the ministry. You know that binding agreements like that can only be dissolved in exceptional circumstances. It was a risky arrangement to start with, and dissolving the contract now will draw unwanted attention to the case by the Aschen government!" Jacob snapped loudly now, and his eyes locked with those of his daughter in an angry battle. "You will just have to deal with it – and if you ask me: you could have hit it much worse than Jack O'Neill. He's a good man, Sam, and if you stopped being so stubborn, you might actually see the merit in the arrangement – for both of you!"

"That's not the point, dad!" Sam replied ferociously.

She had always been of the impression that Jack O'Neill was a good man. He had never treated her with anything other than the highest respect, and he had shown his complete trust in her on more than one occasion. Moreover, there had been something between them: emotionally and physically.

Or so she had thought – now, she could not be sure of anything with him anymore, except for one thing: he was the one man that she did not want to have in her life.

If her father had presented Jack to her, and let her get to know him, she would have most likely agreed to the marriage. But not this way – not the way it had happened. Not in a way that completely disempowered her and left her with no choice in whether she wanted to marry him or not.

"The point is that you never even asked me! All I ever wanted was for you to include me and to trust me to be capable of making my own decisions. But instead you decided to make it final over my head, and now you just expect me to be happy with it?"

At that moment, the entrance canvas opened and Jack stepped in, grimacing when he saw Jacob Carter and his daughter arguing. Sam fell silent, and sat back down on her chair, not deigning to look at the base commander.

"Sorry to… um…" Jack started, catching the slightly annoyed glimpse of Jacob. He cleared his throat. "Carter, I need the report about the artifact from 498 – that is, if you have it already."

Wordlessly, the young woman took one of the file folders from her desk and handed it to him over the table. While she stayed well within the line of military respectfulness, her eyes never once met his, and her demeanor was practically glacial. Jack took the file, and watched her sit back down to concentrate on whatever doohickey she was playing around with.

He looked at Jacob, who just shrugged, and then cleared his throat. "Thank you."

"Before I forget, McKay asked me to tell you that he needs some research material." Sam stated matter-of-factly, her eyes never leaving her work. "A list of books he compiled, which he sent you a couple of days ago. Apparently you ignored his request."

"Ah, I see…" Jack nodded. "Did he tell you what exactly he needed them for?"

"No, Sir. He merely asked me to remind you to acquire them as soon as possible – which I have hereby done." Her voice lacked all emotion, so that he wouldn't mistake the request for a feeble attempt to start small talk, and he got the hint.

"Understood. Thanks." With those words, Jack turned around and left.

Jacob folded his arms, while he watched his friend leave the tent. Then his eyes fell back on his daughter. It hadn't escaped his notice that the atmosphere between them was frosty at best.

"Don't you think you're being a little unfair to Jack?"

That made Sam look up. "Unfair? I have treated him with all the respect due to the commander of this base!"

"Yes, you have, but that was not what I am referring to, and you know it!" Jacob clarified, and Sam glared at him.

"What do you expect me to do? Thank him for so graciously taking pity on me and agreeing to marry and protect me?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Jacob had just about had it now.

"You know what? This conversation is obviously futile, so why don't you let me know when you have calmed down and then we can talk again!" With those words, he turned sharply on his heel and exited the tent.

Sam closed her eyes and jumped up. "Dad!"

She didn't want to fight with her father. She loved him, and she hadn't even realized how much she had missed him until she had seen him again two days ago. Despite all that had happened, she knew that he cared for her deeply. And she didn't doubt that all the decisions that he had made had always been with her own best interests as motivation. Fighting this hard with her father hurt her.

Nevertheless, she didn't know how to let this go. She couldn't just give in and agree to the arrangement; to her it would feel like giving herself up.

It seemed that, for the moment, she was stuck with having to decide to either make herself happy, or make her father and Jack O'Neill happy. Those two options seemed to be mutually exclusive.

_**Next update will follow on either Monday or Tuesday…**_

_Alright… thanks you all for participating in the Giveaway! I didn't expect that many entries! I will draw a winner tomorrow and then inform them in a PM as well as publish their name in the beginning of chapter 21._

_Now… this was the long awaited chapter (which will kinda continue in the next chapter). I figure, you will either love it or hate it… but with all the different expectations that you expressed in your reviews, I am afraid I might lose some readers…_

_**And now: Review Response Time! (Oh boy, this is gonna be a long one…)**_

_**ALIMOO1971**__: Wow, you were actually pretty close to their reactions with your shock statements. I think everybody is majorly shocked. Sam is shocked because she found out Jack is her husband, and her father is also working in the resistance. Jack is shocked when he finds out that Sam lied to him, and that she is his wife. And Jacob is shocked to find Sam a part of the resistance, having worked at Jack's camp all that time… :)_

_**vcm:**__ Partly correct… ;) Jackis angry that she lied to him again, and his anger will resurface in the next chapter. But don't forget that overall, he can understand her situation. He did the same thing over 10 years ago, when he went undercover to join the resistance. He understands the need for discretion about your identity when you try to disappear for good. So in a way, his anger will more resolve from Sam's continuing blaming of him for the situation. _

_You were pretty spot on about Jacob, who is confused, but is happy to find his daughter alive and well. ;)_

_**Yol:**__ You're right, a lot of the story is a bit more serious and dark. It reflects their life in the resistance. Which is why I figured they should take the occasions that they get to lighten the mood. Also, I know that in some cultures close to the polar regions (such as the Inuit for example) it is common to celebrate the return of the sun. So why shouldn't the resistance have developed a similar custom. ;)_

_As for your guess, I think you were pretty close. They are all very shocked by the outcome. The fact that Jack didn't know Sam's name resulted from his laziness to read the marriage contract before signing it though. ;)_

_**Saissa:**__ You were pretty spot on about Jack I think. ;) Where Sam is concerned: well… don't forget that by signing the contract over her head, Jack has become part of the system that she despises so much, and she can't get over that so easily. ;)_

_But what about you Jacob guess?! A hypocrite… and a bully? I get the feeling that you don't like Jacob? ;P_

_**antares04:**__ Yes, yes it was… and it will continue tob e in the next chapter. Maybe even more so, because then it will focus solely on the Sam/Jack confrontation… ;)_

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma: **__I hope you weren't disappointed by their reactions…_

_**mmkbrook:**__ You continue to amaze me! Seriously! This is not the first review where you absolutely spot-on predicted what would happen. ;) I think you were a bit vague about Jack, but essentially right. Jack gets angry about Sam's continuing stubbornness, but essentially, he is glad about the outcome. He likes her – a lot – and the marriage would allow him to openly express those feelings._

_And Sam… well… it wouldn't be in character to make her happily fall into Jack's arms. She does like him – a lot. And during the past chapter, they have grown rather close. Sam trusts him, and therefore the revelation that he signed a wedding contract over her head completely shocks her. _

_Sam's feelings are very complex, and a lot of her anger actually springs from the fact that despite Jack's action, she can't hate him… which is very terrifying to her._

_**robinbishop1231:**__ Wow… :D I don't want to give away too much, but I think you should wait for the next chapter. There won't be the 'ahem' part (cause Sam is not that easy :P ), but I think your other expectations will be fulfilled – maybe not exactly the way you said, but very close. _

_**brutal-howell:**__ Well… partly true. ;) Sam doesn't expect that Jack knew who she was… he doesn't react that way. He realizes it before she does, but I think overall, they're both equally surprised. You were pretty correct about Jacob though, although his relationship with his daughter will not be mended right away. It will take a bit of time._

_And I am glad you did give the story a try! :) I did give the Aschen an extra tweak, but tell me, why don't you like the Aschen? The story will focus more on the Aschen towards the end, so maybe I can still spice it up a bit. _

_I know there are more people out there who don't like the Aschen, so I am interested to know why? We don't learn much about them, so I have the freedom to be creative about a lot of things. :D_

_**EvilTheLast:**__ Sorry for the wrong chapter expectations. I think it stems from the fact that fanfictionnet imposes its own count on the chapters. Fanfictionnet's chapter 1 is actually the Prologue, so I am always one chapter behind. When I talk about chapter 20, it will be fanfictionnet's chapter 21 and so on. Unfortunately, I can't change that. _

_I loved your idea about everybody screaming at everyone, because essentially, that's what it comes down to, isn't it? ;D It highly amused me… granted, they are not really screaming, but there is a lot of fighting going on. _

_**Sequinn:**__ Oh, now you have some interesting ideas that I like! That would have been an interesting plot as well: Sam seeking refuge with the resistance to escape her forced marriage and then it turns out she is actually married to Jack… ;) _

_You were pretty close about Jacob though. ;) And Jack is confused… and also somewhat glad – until he realizes how fiercely Sam opposes the contract on principle. And then he realizes that he'll be in trouble. Poor Jack. ;)_

_**Channach:**__ I think you would have guessed right too. :D And you were so enthusiastic after you had read the chapter – that actually calms me down a little bit after reading all the different expectations. :D_

_**esmejasper:**__ Oh, it will be so sweet. I just worked on the sweetness today, and all I say is 20 pages… (personal record!) ;D And a half-sweetness before which is about 10 pages I think. Oh boy… this is going to go into the gutter so bad. _

_But don't worry, it's only going to be interludes, and then it will focus on the Aschen arc again. _

_And I loved reading all the guesses too – although it also freaked me a little bit. Some were very close, and others weren't. So we'll see if people will be disappointed. ;)_

_**NION:**__ SPOT ON! :D Jacob did see Sam first and then followed her… But the way in which it came out was a bit different. ;) Lots of tension there…_

_**Guest:**__ Thank you, I am really glad you like it! :)_

_**Jackina:**__ Playful Jack really is adorable, isn't he? :D I was a bit worried that it would be out of character. He is always so gruff and in command mode, but I figured he deserved some downtime as well… ;)_

_And you are spot on with your assessment about what will happen. You judged Sam's character correctly – I think you were the only one to correctly predict Sam's reaction. I thought I made it very clear during the past 19 chapters how opposed she is (in principle!) to the entire Aschen system and the forced marriages. So, yes, I think her being angry at Jack and at her father is only logical. But some seem to disagree. :D_

_I think though, after reading all the reviews, Jack should maybe become a bit more furious about Sam lying to him. Everybody seems to expect it, so maybe it is out of character for him not to. He wil be furious in the next chapter – but not because she lied. _

_I always figured that this is actually the one thing that connects the two. They both ran away from forced arrangements. (Jack did so too over 10 years back when the Aschen wanted to forcefully re-marry him to another woman after Sara had run away.) So, despite of what Sam thinks, Jack does actually understand her. But he also doesn't want to give up on her… and that is the dilemma for him._

_And what you said about Jacob… no words. Wow. Excellent prediction. ;) It will still take a while until he and Sam mend their relationship, but it will happen. _

_**p4s:**__ Wow, I really love your idea! Now that would have been interesting too! I can see now that there are so many ways to resolve the situation and every single one of them would have been neat!_

_But you really are right: I begin to realize that it does depend on who sees whom first. _

_I'm glad you like the UST! I was going for UST and it is so nice that I have succeeded. _

_**Guest #2:**__ I like your idea! That would have been an interesting outcome as well! There will be fireworks in the next chapter… then I am going for UST again. ;)_

_**Lulea:**__ Thank you so much I am so happy that you enjoy it so much! :D It makes all the hours I spent slaving over it worthwhile. _

_**Guest #3:**__ You were right, Jacob was amazed, that Sam made it into the resistance by herself. I personally love the last part of the chapter (the confrontation between Jacob and Sam) because it gave me the option to show Sam's change to the reader through the eyes of Jacob. _

_And I am glad you liked my homage to Solitudes… on the show they really couldn't do more, since Jack was badly injured. ;) But we all know how smug he can be, and he is kind of a player at times. (Just remember his 'sweet little tank top number' comment at the end of Season 1 Episode 4 'Broca Divide'.) So I could well see him openly enjoying the situation, whereas Sam is more reserved and also a bit more awkward. _

_**skarosianlifeform:**__ Yes, I don't think Jack would keep a grudge. I was wondering whether maybe I should have written more on her punishment after his angry speech in chapter 17, but I figured, that for him the situation is resolved. _

_He knew Carter messed up. And he knew that she was aware of that as well. And she was remorseful. He had to make sure there were consequences, but I don't think he keeps a grudge. Not unless she did something that really went against his principles: such as for example if she were an Aschen spy; or if she left people behind in the field. _

_She did endanger the mission, but they were lucky. Nothing happened, and they could still carry out the theft. So in his book, it was no harm done. _

_**Anisette22:**__ Thank you for your nice words. :) Those chapter actually served the purpose to show that Sam was slowly beginning to open up again to Jack as well – and that makes her hurt all the worse in the light of his (perceived) betrayal. ;) But, there will be more UST again soon… we all know she won't be able to stay away from him for long. And the fact that he manages to hurt her so much only shows how deep her feelings for him run – even if she herself doesn't realize it yet. _

_bpayne1: No, Sam is not a happy camper at all. :P And you are very correct about one thing: Jack does get over it a lot faster than Sam does. But then again, he was also able to make a choice where the marriage contract was concerned – Sam didn't. ;)_

_I'm so thrilled to see that you love the story so much! I try to update every few days, but sometimes chapters need a bit more work, so I have to make you wait a bit. I don't want to publish them when I feel they are not quite right. :D_

_**sg1 huge fan:**__ What battle have I won halfways? O.o And yes, I am so glad you picked up on that… she did drag herself away from her doohickeys to join him. ;) It's those subtle little things that make me so happy when readers pick up on them. _

_**avonleashores:**__ Sneaky Jack… Alpha Jack… there'll be a bit more Alpha Jack from now on I think. ;) And there will be a bit more suspense. _

_Good Lord, I am so scared that once they finally get together (or have sex) people will stop reading and miss out on the explosive endings of the story. ;) Because the getting together actually happens quite a few chapters before the end. _

_**Cyced: **__Ooooh! I think I have seen you on Gateworld before. The story was recced there? Where? Or did you see the link in my signature? _

_I know, the possibility for stories in the universe is just so incredible! You could create an entirely new Stargate television show from this. I have so many things in my mind which I could still write, and I am thinking about a sequel… but really not sure if that wouldn't destroy the ending. ;) _

_I'm glad you like it! I know that people don't think very highly of the Aschen, and the Aschen stories that I have read weren't particularly interesting to me either. I guess the idea just emerged someday when I watched Stargate (2010) and right after that an episode of Star Trek Deep Space 9. I love Kira Nerys and her resistance character and I just started to think: hey, what if Sam and Jack were in a resistance. And then the idea just popped into my head bit by bit and the story just formed. _

_**dpdp:**__ Oh, you were so right… Sam didn't have the courage. ;) And yes, it will carry over into chapter 21, until Sam and Jack get to an agreement. And even after that, the atmosphere will be a bit different than before – which allows me to go back into the oh-so-loved UST! :)_

_**Thanks to each and every one of you for your wonderful reviews. I just spent 3 hours answering them all! I hope that chapter 20 didn't disappoint – and if it did, please feel free to tell me why! ;)**_


	22. Chapter 21 - Broken

_Thanks so much to __**esmejasper**__ and __**Channach**__ for their amazing beta-work! _

_**GIVEAWAY:** The winner is __**dpdp**__! Congratulations, and please check your Private Messaging Inbox! ;)_

_Would you be interested in another giveaway at some point?_

_And on another note: Please remember that this is an AU story… so everything that you believe to know from the canon universe might not be the same in this universe! ;)_

**Chapter 21 - Broken**

_2 weeks later_

"Ensign Sam Carter reporting as ordered, Sir." Sam announced, her voice firm and steady, her expression cold and her eyes fixated on the far tent wall.

Jack looked up from his desk and eyed her for a moment. For two weeks, she had avoided him. They had not spoken privately to each other since the afternoon of the day that they had learned that they were married.

After the argument with her father in her work tent, Jacob had left with no more than a cold goodbye for his daughter. He wasn't willing to talk to her anymore as long as she was being stubborn about the marriage.

Jack could definitely see the similarities in their characters.

He had hoped, that at some point, Sam would calm down and come around, so that they would be able to talk about how to proceed from here; how to make things work between them – professionally and personally. Two weeks ago, he had thought that it would be a good idea to assign her to Sheppard's team temporarily, so that she could get a bit of distance to calm down. However, that plan didn't seem to have worked at all; it was becoming clear that the space he thought he was giving her hadn't diminished her anger at all. If anything, she seemed even more incensed by the decision.

He didn't want their marriage to be just a signature on a contract – not with her of all people, and not with the feelings that had been between them before the marriage came up. He wanted to make it work, and he knew that they had the potential to be good together. They were a good team in the field, and he knew they had the potential to be good together as a couple – if they worked out the problems that separated them.

He was, however, willing to make good on his original promise to let the marriage be just a signature on paper, if she was unwilling to have a relationship with him. It had been the original intention after all. However, he wanted to hear it from her in a state where she wasn't irrationally angry and stubborn.

Aside from that, their marriage might bring up a whole number of problems sometime in the future, either by being found out or by normal Aschen procedures.

Jack still didn't know how Jacob had managed to get the overseer of the marriage registry to sign off a contract that paired up a gifted man with a (seemingly) non-gifted woman. He could well imagine that he had taken a great risk and probably tampered with the system to make it possible. Jack didn't even know whether they were officially registered as a gifted or non-gifted couple. However, Jacob had stressed that dissolving the contract would cause a number of severe problems.

Jack remembered from the short time that he had worked in the Aschen ministry that there were quite a few ways to tamper with the marriage system. It was easy to mark a gifted couple as deceased so that their file would simply vanish from the programs that automatically scheduled and controlled medical exams and pregnancy tests. Alternatively, their status could be put to idle – which was usually done after a couple had passed a certain age, and were too old to conceive or father children.

Those files usually disappeared in the vast masses of data in the Aschen archives, and were never looked at again – unless somebody drew attention to the case, or became suspicious. Therefore, it was best not to ask any questions about the procedures.

A divorce was just the kind of act that could draw this unwanted attention.

In any case, the safest way to deal with the situation would be to, at least officially, live like a married couple, which in itself wasn't a problem since they were both living in Antarctica. However, Sam's unwillingness to accept the situation or even talk to him was becoming one – and not just on a personal level.

In order for them to function professionally, they at least needed to get back to a basis of friendship. He couldn't work with somebody who was constantly trying to avoid him. They needed to discuss the issue.

Even now, as Sam was standing in front of him, everything in her behavior reflecting the professional and distant stance of a perfect soldier, he knew that she was only here because he had ordered her to be.

"At ease," he eventually announced, and she relaxed, but only as minimally as rules dictated her to. She still didn't look at him, even as he addressed her now. "I just wanted to inform you that, starting today, you won't be joining SG-2 anymore. McKay is back from his science mission to PX5-252 and surprisingly, he wants his old position on Sheppard's team back. So you'll return to duty on SG-1."

"Yes, Sir," she replied, her voice still firm and controlled.

"That means you will be working on my team under my command again. Is there a problem with that?" he further inquired, slowly getting angry at her perfect behavior.

"No Sir, no problem at all." Her eyes were still fixated on the wall behind him, and if she was not okay with the reassignment, she didn't let it show.

Jack studied her for a moment, and then got up with a sigh. "Damn it, Carter, will you at least look at me!"

For a moment it looked like she was going to disobey his order, but then her eyes shifted – albeit reluctantly – and she looked at him.

"Is the thought of being married to me that repulsive to you?" She decided to remain silent and his mouth hardened when he pressed his lips together. "We will have to talk about this at some point."

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" he exploded, and for a short moment she looked puzzled and almost startled at his unexpected outburst.

Good, at least he was getting some kind of emotion out of her. "You don't have to address me by rank when we're talking about this, Sam." He clarified, and she averted her eyes from him. When he realized that she wasn't willing to become any more personal, he finally surrendered to her professionalism with a sigh. "Permission, granted."

"I don't think that there is anything to talk about. I made my position about the contract clear. Regardless of what law dictates, and regardless of what my father or you believe, I refuse to recognize any contract that was signed over my head without my consent."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her voice was cold, void of all emotion. After everything that they had been through together; even after everything that they had shared personally together, she wasn't even willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Their relationship had started to become something like a friendship before the marriage had come up. Besides, he had absolutely no doubt that they would have been at least somewhat of an item if he hadn't had second thoughts that night at O'Malley's – which in retrospect he felt like a complete fool for. She had been his wife back then already, but he had turned her down because he had wanted to remain faithful.

There had definitely been mutual attraction between them. How could she just pretend that none of that had ever existed?

At first, he had understood her feelings, which was why he had agreed to put SG-1 on passive duty. Instead, he had assigned her to SG-2, because he had hoped that her feelings of anger and hurt pride would slowly fade, and at some point they would be able to talk reasonably about the terms of their marriage.

Sam was still blaming him for the entire contract. All he had wanted to do was to help her, and spare her the fate that he and most of the other gifted ones had to face. After he had learned that it was she whom he was married to, and after the initial shock had subsided, he had even been happy about it – that it had been her: a woman whom he already respected, liked, and knew he could rely on in the field; not to mention felt attracted to.

"You'll stay here all day if that's what it takes, but we need to talk about this," he replied firmly, his voice showing a hint of the anger that was welling up inside of him now.

"And what exactly do you want me to say?" she snapped finally, her eyes piercing his now. "I ran away from home because I hated the thought of simply being married off without my consent. I wanted to make my own decisions, especially about who I would marry and when. That hasn't changed. Did you think that it would be different, because of what happened between us at O'Malley's; that I would fall into your arms like one of those dull girls who dream of marriage all of their life? If that is the case, SIR, you are really overestimating your effect on women." Her harsh comment helped her gain a small sense of satisfaction and control. She wanted to hurt him and the dangerous sparkle in his eyes betrayed that she was succeeding, at least partly, in riling him.

Sam was talking herself into fury. "I told you about how much I despised the Aschen's attitude towards us humans; that they regard us as little more than slaves. Well, there's not much of a difference between what the Aschen do, and what you and my father did with the marriage contract, so if you really think I would be happy about this, you are out of your mind!"

"Sam, I don't consider you my slave or a possession." Jack's voice had a gentle, albeit firm edge to it now, his eyes holding hers relentlessly as he sat down on the edge of his desk. "I want us to be equal partners – which is why I want to talk to you about the terms of our marriage and how to proceed from here. I understand how you're feeling."

"Oh please…" she folded her arms. "With all due respect, you could make a conscious decision. It was your choice whether to sign the contract or not. So don't tell me that you understand how I am feeling."

Jack sighed. "Listen, your father only had your best interests in mind, and I just wanted to help. I know what it is like to have nothing to say in your wedding contract – but it is not my fault, you're gifted, Sam. It is the system, and I've been there, so…"

"Exactly! I never expected that you of all people would…" she started weakly, and then cut herself off and fixated her eyes on the wall again. She felt tears start to burn in her eyes again, when the extent of his betrayal came to mind. She couldn't think about that. She didn't want to feel the pain that came with it. It shouldn't hurt so much; he shouldn't have that power to hurt her so deeply. Her only way to get rid of the pain seemed to be anger and rage.

"I am not the only one who is at fault here!" Jack finally reminded her impatiently. Anger started to boil up inside of him. After all they had been through together, and despite their obvious attraction to each other, she wasn't even willing to give them a try. He didn't know if she was just too stubborn or too damn proud, but he knew he wasn't okay with what she was proposing and the way she was accusing him. He had in no way betrayed her, and in fact, he had also never lied to her.

Sam held his eyes defiantly and eventually shook her head. "You know what, it doesn't matter. You want to know how I want to proceed? I just wish to continue my work here at camp. I want to go through the Stargate. That is all I care about, Sir. I will do what you say; I will work on your team and follow your orders. I will respect you as my commanding officer – but other than that I don't want anything to do with you." She didn't shake or flinch as she was informing him of the way she wanted to handle things. Jack couldn't believe it.

"Well, I am not okay with that!"

"What?" Sam asked, completely put off by his determined statement.

"We were friends – if not more – before this damn contract came up! And I would like to give us a try. I'm not saying that a marriage between us would be perfect, but for crying out loud! Can't we at least go back to how it was before you learned that I was your husband? A friendship, I mean. Then we'll just see what develops from there. I never suggested that we should just jump into this marriage right away. But since dissolving the contract is not an option, let's spend some time together; give me a chance to date you properly."

She stared at him completely dumbfounded, her feelings going into a turmoil of hurt, anger, and disbelief – mostly because for a fraction of a second a tiny part of her wanted to agree to his proposal. How could she even remotely still feel attracted to him? Why couldn't she bring herself to hate him? She became even angrier.

"I don't want to date a man who thinks that he can just marry a woman without her consent!" she snapped furiously. "I don't care about Aschen rules! What is the point in us fighting the Aschen when you just blithely follow the rules they've laid out? You really are no better than them, no matter how much you tell yourself that you're different!"

She was crossing a line. She knew it, and she could read in his eyes that her comment had hit home. She desperately wanted to hurt him – the way that he had hurt her.

"Alright then," he informed her coldly, and got up. "I see trying to talk this out reasonably isn't working. It seems that you've decided I am your enemy, so I might as well act accordingly. Your father only agreed to let you stay here because you and I are married. That makes you my responsibility, and I assured him that I would take care of you. By tonight I expect you to have moved all your things into my – our," he corrected, "tent. That includes your sleeping bag, understood?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide in disbelief and shock. "You're ordering me to share your bed?"

"I'm ordering you to share my tent," he clarified coldly. "Obviously that is the only way for us to be able to spend time together privately, since you refuse to have any other contact with me. Besides, if I remember correctly, we did do the bed sharing before, and you didn't seem to be particularly opposed to it then. But I guess we'll slowly have to work back to that point."

Sam pressed her lips together and stared at him, everything in her eyes showing her defiance, her anger, and her disbelief at his order, but her perfect stance didn't change. Again, he had to commend her on her incredible ability to control her own emotions. She really had come a long way from the young, rebellious woman who had gotten into a fight with Mitchell, he had to give her that. But then again, he had never seen any recruit who hadn't rapidly grown up and changed after a few months in the field.

"I am not going to share a tent with you!" she announced fiercely. "I'd rather share a tent with McKay!"

"Well, let me make myself clear then, ensign, since you seem to be under the impression that I am asking your opinion," he said sharply now, not caring that he was pulling rank when he really shouldn't. She already thought that he was no better than the Aschen, so there really wasn't any way in which he could sink lower in her standing. "That was neither a suggestion, nor a request. You can either move into my tent, or you can leave camp and return home to your father. Are we clear on that?"

He was behaving like a jerk, and he knew it, but she wasn't actually earning a fair behavior award either.

"You can't order me to do that!" Her voice was nothing more than an angry hiss and their eyes locked in a fierce battle for dominance.

"Oh, watch me!" Jack snapped back.

Almost at the same second that he said it, she made a step towards him. She was utterly enraged; her entire body language gave it away. And the soldier inside of him instinctively knew what she was about to do; he sensed the danger and the deadly fury that was boiling inside of her.

Before her fist could make contact with his cheek, he had caught her wrist in a steel grip, his eyes darkening dangerously in a way she had never seen before.

"Don't ever try that again," he hissed furiously, and when she made a frustrated little sound trying to free her hand from his firm grasp, he had just about had it. Suddenly, her closeness overwhelmed him.

His judgment clouded by rage and the rush of adrenaline that her attempt at violence had caused, he pulled her against his body, his free hand tangling in her short hair as he pulled her head back and forcefully claimed her mouth with his.

A soft protesting squeal left her lips and died in the kiss, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth while her body froze against him.

There was no finesse about the kiss. He wasn't gentle, or seductive, but using it as a means to vent his anger and to punish her for trying to hit him in the face while relentlessly holding her against him and preventing her from trying to attack him anew.

Sam's initial struggles faded quickly as the reality of his proximity overwhelmed her. Heat shot through her as his tongue firmly started to battle hers, and she hated her body for betraying her like that. An involuntary moan escaped her and died in his mouth, while she desperately tried to get herself under control.

She was rendered immobile against him, her hands helpless in his grip, and she had no choice but to react to whatever he decided to do to her. It was overwhelming, outrageous, and so incredibly erotic at the same time, that she couldn't help but open her mouth further to his explorations.

Sam hated herself for how willingly she started to participate, but she couldn't resist his closeness, his scent, his taste.

Jack wasn't sure how the kiss turned from a violent possession of her lips into a tender, almost loving, caress. Suddenly, however, they were engaged in a sensual open-mouthed kiss, and her body was soft and pliant under his lips, while he was tenderly, but still demandingly, taking whatever she had to offer.

He released her hand and loosened the grip on her hair, but she didn't move away. Her fingers clasped the firm skin of his upper arm, while his hand trailed along her waist to her back to press her into his body.

When he eventually moved back slightly and effectively broke the kiss, they were both panting for air.

Sam took a few shaky breaths, not daring to open her eyes when she finally managed to whisper against his chin, "I hate you."

It wasn't true, no matter how desperately she wished it were. Every reaction of her body belied her words and the wishes of her conscious mind. One look into his darkened eyes told her that they were both aware of that.

She tried to free herself from him and he let her go. Shakily and still taken aback by how much of an impact he had had on her, she moved back a few steps, and ran her fingers through her hair as she desperately tried to order the conflicting emotions inside of her.

"I hate you," she murmured again, more forceful. She bit her lips on which his taste was still lingering. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"I expect you to move your stuff into our shared tent before tonight," he informed her coldly, without reacting to her angry question. "Dismissed."

"Sir, you can't…!" Sam started, but he didn't let her finish.

"I said, dismissed!"

She turned around, feeling completely numb inside. Suddenly all she wanted was to get away from him. Far away.

Was that how he wanted to proceed? He was just going to order her around from now on. He was going to enforce their marriage contract and compel her to spend time with him. After all that had happened to him, all that he knew about what a forced liaison felt like, he was still refusing to let her out of the contract. She felt sad, and angry, and completely helpless at the same time.

Fuming, she went down to the tent that she had shared with Vala and Janet up to now, and started to roll up her sleeping bag and pack her belongings. Then she stomped up the hill angrily until she was standing in front of the tent that he was using. As the base commander, he had his own tent. It was slightly smaller than the other ones but it still provided plenty of room for two people. Angrily, Sam stepped inside and dumped her stuff in one of the free corners carelessly.

Without even bothering to unpack, she made her way up to the scientist's camp to delve into work for the rest of the day.

It was already far into the night, when sleepiness began to overwhelm her. Sam had originally intended to work through the night, and then sleep a few hours in the morning, after Jack O'Neill had gotten up and left the tent. At about 2am however, she was barely able to keep her eyes open anymore. She rested her arms on the desk she was working at, trying to get a few minutes of sleep in this very uncomfortable position. It was still rather chilly outside though, and the work tents didn't provide the heat or comfort that the personal tents and her sleeping bag offered. After only a short moment she started shivering slightly, so eventually she turned off the light, and made her way down to camp.

She inhaled deeply, fighting with herself about whether to obey Jack O'Neill's orders, or just grab a new sleeping bag and return into the tent she had shared with Vala and Janet. She had no doubt however, that if Jack learned about her open defiance – and it was probably more a question of 'when' than 'if', because hardly anything happened at camp without him knowing about it – he would make true on his threat and send her home.

She really didn't want to give in to him, but she wanted even less to return home and sacrifice her work for the resistance and with the Stargate. Therefore, she finally entered O'Neill's tent. Quietly, she turned on one of the small oil lamps to be able to see in the dark. As quietly as she could, she rolled out the isolation mat in the corner opposite to where he was sleeping and then placed her sleeping bag on top of it.

"I really didn't think you were going to show up," he suddenly commented from his bed. She realized that he had been wide-awake from the moment she had entered. His voice startled her a little bit and she looked at his bed before she just crawled into her sleeping bag fully clothed.

"Don't you want to change?" he asked, leaning on his elbow and looking over at her.

"Are you going to order me to, Sir?" she asked back with a snappy undertone in her voice, not looking at him. If he wanted her to do something he would have to make it an order, she decided, knowing that this would completely subvert his aim of them becoming equal partners.

He sighed. So she had decided to go into war mode – what had he expected really after practically forcing her to change quarters to share one with him. He shrugged simply.

"Not my problem if you're uncomfortable and can't sleep. Don't expect me to cut you any slack during the day if you're sleep deprived though." With those words, he lay back down, and a moment later she turned off the light.

Jack had to commend her on her stamina. It was a mystery to him how she could possibly get any sleep wearing her full gear, but the same procedure kept repeating for a couple of days. She would come in as late as possible, before just slipping into her sleeping bag, and going to sleep fully dressed. When she woke up late in the morning, he had already left. They were hardly exchanging any words at all.

The atmosphere between them was tense. So tense, in fact, that he refrained from assigning any missions to SG-1, because he actually feared that her mindset would interfere with her duties; not because she would intentionally try to hurt him in the field – he was rather sure she would never do that. If she wanted to pick a fight, she would do so front on at camp, but not on a mission.

He was concerned that her lack of sleep and her constant anger would finally catch up with her, and if and when that happened, he preferred not to be in a potentially dangerous situation.

Although Daniel was happy about the downtime, which gave him more than enough much-needed time to label and examine the artifacts in storage and work on some translations, he also didn't make it a secret that he disapproved of his friend's behavior towards the young woman. Jack had ignored his friend's reproaching looks and the slightly annoyed tone in his voice when he had asked him if he really thought this was the right way to clear things with Sam.

The truth was he didn't know what to do. He felt utterly clueless, and the anger he was confronted with from her made him feel helpless and frustrated.

He knew there had been something between them once, and he wasn't willing to give up on them yet. He liked her, and that was the only thing he was sure of at that moment. He cared for her; and he was willing to let her go eventually if that was really what she wished for. However, he would not just allow her to shut him out like this. They were both affected by the contract, and acting as if it wasn't there (or worse, acting as if he didn't exist) didn't contribute to solving the problem. The least she owed him after lying to him for so long was a reasonable talk about the subject.

After a few days, her procedure changed. At first, Jack was surprised, to find her sleeping in her bed already when he entered the tent, but the next morning he learned the reason for it. She sneaked out shortly before dawn to take up her daily swimming session again now that the weather was considerably warmer, and the water temperature of the small lake had risen to a point where she could swim without catching a cold.

He resisted the urge to start his daily fishing hour, which he used to have around the same time that she went swimming – simply because he wanted to give her that small amount of privacy in the morning and not make her feel crowded.

After almost a week, Jack had about had it with her cold attitude and her clever ways of avoiding him. He realized that, if he ever wanted to get back to a basis of friendship with her, they had to resolve the situation and to do that she needed to vent some of the fury inside of her. Therefore, he decided to help her do that.

Every Tuesday morning, she had a close combat session scheduled. That Tuesday, he dismissed Mitchell from the ring for the session to take over her training himself.

When she arrived, she didn't show any kind of emotion when she found out that he would be her trainer for the day. He hadn't expected her to react. She was too professional for that.

After she had warmed herself up, and when she was finally standing in front of him, he could finally see the hint of emotion in her eyes as he challenged her.

"You wanted to hit me. So do it. Show me what you've got."

He knew he should have sounded less smug, but he wanted her to become angry. There was no way she would be able to beat him in close combat, but at least she would be able to do something about her fury. And if she wanted to hit him, it might as well be in the context of some training.

Her first punch was weak and he easily managed to block it. Her second punch was uncoordinated and he grabbed her arm, twisted it around, and rendered her helpless against him. Jack began to realize that his concerns had been justified; that her anger completely clouded her judgment and affected her fighting skills.

"Are you going easy on me, or are you really just that bad?" he rasped against her face, and then released her. "Come on, don't hold back."

She growled through gritted teeth, frustrated that he had managed to immobilize her without effort, and her next punch was a lot more forceful. He managed to block most of its force, but there was still a considerable change in her stance. He allowed her to strike a few blows, before he started to effectively fight her back to spur her on even more. With every blow that she missed, he could see her anger grow, and the more anger was showing on her face, the more uncoordinated her moves became.

He eased up on her. This was not about actually training her, but about allowing her to vent her anger, so he allowed her to strike him, even if he could have easily blocked her. It was not like her blows did any actual damage to him; not in that uncoordinated way that she delivered them anyway.

Sam wasn't stupid. It didn't take her long to realize that he was holding back and basically letting her hit him, and that merely fueled her anger further. She knew that he was one of the best close combat fighters at camp. Not even Mitchell could beat him. So why was he making her do this? Was he trying to humiliate her by showing her that she only stood a chance of winning if he allowed her to do so?

Her anger slowly turned into frustration and finally, it took all of her energy to fight back her tears. When she stumbled in an attempt to attack him, and landed in the dirt on all fours, she had finally had enough. Without a word, she got up and merely walked off the field without looking back or reacting to him calling her name. She went straight up to their shared tent, and entered it, furiously fighting against the tears that were spilling down her cheeks. She wanted to hate him so badly… and the fact that she couldn't terrified and infuriated her.

Jack followed her, and when Sam heard him enter behind her in the tent, she turned around, tears streaming down her face.

"Why are you making me do this?" She desperately started hitting his chest with her fisted hands. "Why are you trying to humiliate me? Isn't it enough that you forced this marriage on me? Why can't you just leave me alone?" She didn't care if she was being insubordinate, or if everybody at camp could hear them, or if he chose to throw her out because of this.

Jack let her hit him until she was worn out and stumbled against his chest. He caught her and gently held her soft body against his, while she openly started to cry, her hands fisting in his black training shirt, and her face buried at his shoulder.

"I need you to stop hating me, Sam," he finally murmured close to her ear, when she had stopped crying. "Please…"

"I don't hate you…" she revealed after a long moment of silence with a broken voice. "I wish I could, and it absolutely makes no sense to me, but I can't."

Her confession surprised him, and it was then, suddenly, that the extent of her feelings started to become clear to him.

For the past half year, she had given her everything to become an independent, strong fighter – and, through their marriage, he had come to represent all that she despised: dependence, restrictions, even slavery to some degree. He was the reason why she had run away from home in the first place; that part of her life that she had so desperately tried to leave behind, and that had now caught up with her again.

Despite all that she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

He realized there and then that, no matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't agree to their marriage – not as long as she was still busy trying to find reasons to be angry at him; an effort which he had played right into with his behavior. They couldn't resolve the situation like this.

He kept holding her for a long time, simply because he realized at that moment that he had no choice but to agree to her terms unless he wanted to repeat the experience of his first forced marriage. He had to let go of her, and once he did, she would leave him. There was nothing that he would be able to do about it. It broke his heart.

When she finally moved back, he released her. Her face looked completely distant and she was visibly exhausted.

"Pack up your stuff," Jack stated calmly, his voice void of all emotion.

"Please. Don't make me leave camp. I…"

"Carter…" he interrupted her gently. "I meant, pack up your stuff and move back to Janet and Vala's tent."

She stared at him, completely dumbfounded by what he had said.

"I behaved like a jerk. I shouldn't have ordered you to share my tent. And I shouldn't have kissed you. I was out of line and I promise it will not happen again." His face didn't show any kind of emotions. "I hope that we can be friends again. We can't dissolve the marriage contract without alerting the Aschen to our situation, so it will remain valid officially. But I'm willing to disregard it for the time being."

After a long moment of silence, Sam finally looked up, "You won't hold me to fulfilling the contract any longer?"

"No."

"And you will not treat me differently from other soldiers because of it?" she pressed.

"No." Jack affirmed, and then commented wryly. "If you insist I can be especially hard on you if that would make you feel better." When she just held his eyes seriously, he sighed softly. "Sam, at this point I just want to be able to work with you and talk to you again. I want us to be friends like we were before."

"Were we ever friends?" Sam whispered softly. "I feel like I never even knew you."

"I'm not the one who lied about who they were and where they came from." He reminded her gently without reproach in his voice. "We both made mistakes. I for one wish I had never signed that damned contract, but I can't change that now. I would like it if you considered me a friend again. Not today… not tomorrow… but maybe we can just get to know each other to work towards that aim."

She looked at him for a long time before she finally nodded. "I think I can give it a try."

"Good," he nodded with a somewhat sad, distant smile. "I'll see you at tomorrow's mission briefing then?"

Without another word, he turned around and left the tent, feeling completely empty inside. That was it. It was over between them before it had even begun.

And, paradoxically, it was the thing that bound them together that seemed to have irrevocably divided them.

**_The next update will follow on either Friday or Saturday – I really need a bit of time to finish the fill-in chapters and revise properly. . Sorry!_**

_Yes, Sam is a bit of a bitch… and Jack is a bit of a jerk in this chapter. What can I say… they're flawed, they're only human… and they will come around eventually. I think, being as young as Sam is, she has the right to want to make her own decisions. And Jack has the right to want her to give their relationship a try after all that happened between them in the past. They will have to slowly work towards a compromise… which allows me to work with lots of UST again in coming chapters. ;)_

_**And Review Response Time!**_

_**ALIMOO1971:**__ As you can see, things are beginning to cool down. :) The camp already knows… we have seen that things won't remain a secret for long and the glacial atmosphere between Sam and Jack, and him assigned her to Sheppard's team for a while sure didn't remain unnoticed. :D_

_**mmkbrook:**__ You were spot on about Sam clashing with Jack just for the principle of it. ;) I think, our Sam on the show would be exactly the same if she hadn't had years of military training telling her to respect superior officers. Let's face it, she does get pretty insubordinate at times (and no, saying "With all due respect" or adding "Sir" does not make it better. :P). And we know that she stand up for her principles as well, just think about Sam's speech in the pilot (first version: reproductive organs). _

_Unfortunately, I don't know "Kiss me Kate". I googled it quickly and it is an old movie? _

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma:**__ They are close to some kind of a resolution at the end of this chapter… :D But that's probably not the kind of resolution you were hoping for, is it? ;)_

_**lblgaa:**__ Thank you very much! I was going for exactly that: a feeling of adventure like on the show, but with a bit more explicit shippiness than what the writers usually gave us. :D_

_**Saissa:**__ Fair enough… straight forward and well argumented. I can respect your opinion, even though I really like Jacob. ;) I think you do have a point with your comments about him controlling Sam on the show. He always struck me as the typical military father however. He's so used to the military command structure that he subconsciously applies it to family as well._

_However, in the Aschen universe, it is a bit different. Their society is still rather repressed when it comes to women. Jack is an exception, willing to give women a chance. Just look at the ratio. 36 camp members and only 3 of them are women!_

_In the story universe, Sam just came of age – which would probably be the equivalence of turning 18 in our universe. ;) So Sam is very young and he is worried that she might make mistakes that she will regret when she's more experienced._

_He does not want to keep Sam out of the field because she's a woman. He's worrying about her as a father, because he knows the sacrifices that come with it. Sacrifices that she cannot even begin to fathom yet. _

_And you are right, he did sign away her rights in a (misguided) attempt to do the best for her – which is why she has every right to be angry. Forced marriages were common until about 100 years ago, then they started to disappear from non-gifted liaisons. However, for gifted people they are still the norm. The Aschen choose the husbands according to the genes – to make sure husband and wife share as little ancestry as possible; Jacob instead chose her husband according to character and honesty of character. He knew that Jack was incorruptible due to his past and choosing the resistance over the wealth that the Aschen tempt gifted husbands with. _

_I really like your honesty, but I hope you'll keep reading even when Jacob makes more appearances in future chapters. ;)_

_**dpdp:**__ First of all, congrats again for winning the Giveaway! :) And your 'close call' hunch might not be so far off – which makes me wonder if it isn't a bit too cliché if people can predict it this easily. :D_

_**robinbishop1231: **__I did consciously cut back on the UST a bit in chapter 20, because I really wanted to establish the anger first. There is however UST in this chapter again, and I hope that will make up for it. :D _

_And I surely hope that my resolved sexual tension won't disappoint. I keep going back to it and revising and rewriting passages to make it better, hotter, sweeter… ;) So far I'm at almost 20 pages in word… I think I'm overdoing it a bit. We'll see…_

_**vcm: **__Oh, Jack wasn't willing… he was cutting her some slack because he could relate. But she manages to make him snap pretty nicely in this chapter. ;) Is his temper hot enough for in this chapter? _

_**pianomouse:**__ Yes, Sam is a bit of a spoiled brat, isn't she? But then again, imagine that for 25 years in your life you grow up with the expectation to never have children and to marry solely for love someday. And then, one day, your father comes in and tells you: "you're gifted… oh, and btw. You're married too now."_

_Wouldn't you snap? Wouldn't you fiercely oppose it and start to fight the system and everybody who even remotely supports it?_

_Also, I hope that in this chapter it becomes clear that part of her anger stems from the terrifying realization that, despite of what Jack has done, she cannot hate him. He has acted against everything that she believes in, and yet she still cares for him. _

_I don't think it isn't unreasonable to deny feelings for somebody whom you know is just the complete opposite of yourself where certain views are concerned. Sam is a very rational, over-analyzing woman. She knows rationally, that she has every right to be mad at Jack and her father, and that she should not feel attracted to Jack anymore – and yet she does. _

_And that's where her inexperience comes into play… she's young. She has never experienced anything like it before so who can blame her for not knowing how to handle it? ;)_

_**Yol:**__ Yes, they will come to terms with, and as you have seen, Jack agreed to let her out of it. He won't stop being charming or flirting with her, because, as we can read from his behavior, he loves her. But it is she who will have to make the first step… ;)_

_**Channach:**__ See, here is the revised version. :D I added little parts here and there… And yes, I very much enjoyed writing the fighting scene, and your revisions made it that much better, especially in this chapter, where Sam originally did sound like a broken record. ;)_

_**EvilTheLast: **__It's good that so many people seemed to have expected this. ;) It's still gonna be a while until the marriage goes anywhere… but it'll come. :D_

_**Windpheonix:**__ Ooooh! I am really, really happy to read your review. I always strive to create characters and stories that make the readers completely immerse themselves in the world; feel the feelings, get angry at characters, or even yell at them… it is so nice to read your words, because it means that as a storyteller, I succeeded. :D_

_And yes, Angry!Sam is an impressive force of nature. ;) But so is angry Jack… and I think he makes clear in this chapter where his limits are. _

_I have to say, I was a bit cautious to write the kiss in this chapter, because it is so easy to cross the line to sexual harassment… however, I wanted to instate both Sam and Jack as alphas (because that's what Sam is) and it is probably why they feel so attracted to each other. :P_

_**avonleashores:**__ Ohhhh yes… I love alpha Jack too. ;) And I know the scene you're referring too! It is very hot and also cute of him to say that. _

_For now, their relationship is pretty much on neutral grounds, but Jack, being the alpha that he is, won't give up on her. ;) He loves her, and he feels that she loves him too. But, this is a romance… so we'll give it some time to get there. :D_

_As for your comment with the iBook: As soon as I am done publishing this story, I will make it available as a downloadable ebook on my website again (as I do with a lot of my newer stories). It will of course be free, and available in PDF, mobi (Kindle format) and epub (which is for iBook and other ebook readers). You can then download it and simply import it into iTunes and put it into your iPad/iPhone device on your computer. Or you download it directly from your iPad/iPhone, choose "Open on Other App" and then select "iBook". ;) And feel free to copy and share at will…_

_**Sequinn: **__Yes, I did keep bringing Sam's refusal of being a „slave" up, because it is so easy to forget about that with a publication such as this where you get one chapter every few days – and not the entire story at once. I sometimes wonder, if the story will work differently in the end when all is posted and somebody reads it all at once. ;)_

_I so wish this was a television show. It could be a reboot of the Stargate genre – if they wanted even with different (but similar) actors to appeal to the younger generation and have a show that will run for another 10 years. :D (Let's face it, RDA is too old to play a 41 year old and I don't think AT would pass for 25 anymore either… ;) Not to mention that they probably wouldn't want to start the craziness all over again. )_

_But there have to be actors who look similar to RDA in his 40s, and to AT in the middle of her 20s. And I'm sure the other characters wouldn't be a problem either. ;)_

_**louisa78: **__Oy… the second person who doesn't like Jacob. ;) I always assumed everybody liked him as much as I did… I was wrong. But fair enough, he won't make too many appearances until the end – and by then I hope I've made him come around enough. _

_Although, some of you will probably start to hate him very close to the end… . Ah, well… I'll deal with your wraths then… :D_

_**Cornilious:**__ Thank you so much! I am really happy that you like it so much. :D AU does offer interesting possibilities, and you can also work relatively independently from the established characters and storylines. ;)_

_**Jackina:**__ Honestly, I was surprised that not more people guessed Sam's reaction right… there seem tob e even some who don't agree with it, or can't understand it. I don't know if I am having it completely wrong, or didn't build the character well enough, but readers like you then restore my faith again. :D_

_And I hope you're satisfied with Jack's anger… and the reason why… I don't know if it's in character for Sam to just start hitting like that. But it seemed in character to me. She's a fighter… and when she gets really desperate, she wouldn't cower down and start crying, she would fight all the more aggressive – as we have seen countless times during her training. ;) _

_**Ann84:**__ Don't worry, Jacob will come around near the end, when he hast o work with them more closely. He will get to see how brilliant Sam is, and eventually accept the choices that she made. And he will become supportive… ;)_

_**Morgauxo:**__ I hope I could answer some of your questions concerning why Jack and Jacob take the marriage contract so seriously in this chapter. _

_Here's my take on it again though: _

_I don't think Jacob expects them to live up to the contract. He says in chapter 20 "Are you telling me that in all this time that she was working on your team, you two haven't even developed a friendship? Surely you can work out a deal around the contract." He calls Sam out on treating Jack unfairly, because he sees her glacial behavior towards him, and he feels its unjustified. Jacob just expects them to deal with the contract. _

_The true underlying problem is their emotions: Jack cares about her, and he is happy when he finds out that she's his wife. It doesn't even come to his mind to debate it, esp. after he finds out it's her. He is in love with her, and he sees the contract as an opportunity to make an intimate relationship between them work._

_Sam on the other hand is opposed to it by principle. They live in a society where forced marriages went out of fashion over 100 years ago (at least for non-gifted people) (Quote Sam chapter 1), but women are still in a way repressed. Look at all the rules that allow men to get work, and women can't. Sam doesn't just want to be married off like that, she wants to have a say in her future, and in whom she marries. (Can you blame her really?) I mean, you say that the wedding contract is worth no more than the paper it's written on but don't forget that for Sam it also means that she will never be able to marry anybody else – because legally, she is already bound to somebody. _

_For somebody who grew up believing that she would never have children (because the chance to turn out fertile is only about 5%) and would marry solely out of love, this forced contract has an immense meaning. _

_And especially because the Aschen just forcefully marry people, she is angry that her father (trying to protect her) reverted to the exact same methods. Yes, she hates the Aschen and their system, but it feels even worse if a person you trust uses the same methods (does that make sense?). With Jack, she thought she had found somebody who understood her pain - and then it turns out, he participated in the forced marriage, which to her feels like betrayal of all because she has come to trust him so much. _

_To Jacob, who sees the entire thing in a very rational way, it is just a signature, and all he wants is for Sam and Jack to at least live as friends together. To Jack, the contract is a necessity, but as soon as he learns that it is Sam whom he's married to, he wants to give them a chance! And to Sam, the contract represents everything that is wrong with the system on Earth - and her father and the man whom she fell in love with participated in that system._

_Don't know if that makes it any clearer, but I have the feeling that you can more relate to Jacob's position here, and wonder "Well what's the big deal? You're friends, just make an agreement to let it be an official matter." ;)_

_**Cassis: **__Merci beaucoup! Je suis très heureuse que tu aime le chapitre. :D And I am glad I didn't disappoint you!_

_**skarosianlifeform:**__ You are absolutely correct! I never thought about it that way, but when you said it, I started to realize that you're right. Jack even says it in "The Lost City", that Carter is one of the valuable resources of the country. _

_Then again, if they hadn't had Carter in the field, they would have probably died in the field a few times. Come on, I'mjust saying "Blow up a sun". You think Felger or Lee could have pulled that off?_

_McKay probably would have been able to, but then again, he's another one of the scientist characters who fall under the criteria you just mentioned. Why send a scientist that brilliant of on a potential 'one way ticket' mission into another galaxy?_

_And about your question with the Asgard: What makes you think that there even is a thing such as the protected world treaty in this universe. And even if there were… the Aschen are essentially humans who originated from Earth too! Just that they freed themselves of the Goa'uld a lot earlier than humans did, and their civilization flourished. So technically, they are humans of the kind that the Asgard wanted to protect. Sooo many possibilities…_

_;) The Asgard will appear very soon, but I don't want to give too much away (frankly, because those are exactly the chapters that I am still working on.) _

_Just that in this universe there are so many profound differences, that you shouldn't rely on anything being the same. :D And neither should I as the author, as you have made clear to me a while back in your message about the Aschen. ;)_

_**Thank you all for taking the time to review, and for thinking about this story so much to offer criticism and make valid points! I really appreciate it!**_


	23. Chapter 22 - Competition

_**Alright... Revised the break between the paragraphs... I didn't notice that the line was automatically removed during upload. Sorry for that!**_

As always, huge thanks to **_esmejasper_** and **_Channach_**, who are putting so much time and work into this story! Thank you so much guys!

**Chapter 22 - Competition**

_4 weeks later_

Sam Carter looked around mildly startled when, from somewhere in the walls of the old temple room, she heard a distinct rustling sound that vaguely reminded her of insects crawling. She listened carefully for a moment, but when the sound didn't repeat itself, she leaned over the console again that she had been working on for the past few hours.

They had been on this abandoned planet – they named it P2D-395 – for almost a week now, after an initial survey had shown considerable amounts of technology in a small temple. It had taken a bit of discussion with their team and camp leader Jack O'Neill, but when, uncharacteristically, Daniel, Rodney McKay and she herself had all agreed that it was worth it, he had authorized this mission to be a priority.

He had, however, insisted on military presence, in case they were attacked – a scenario which happened more and more frequently recently; undoubtedly a result of the desperate attempt by the Goa'uld to enlarge their territory and possibly a sign that the hostilities between the two races were beginning to flare up again.

Sam wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, and then reached for the bottle of water that was standing next to her on the console. The average daytime temperature on P2D-395 was so hot it was barely tolerable, and during the night it sank down close to freezing point – a stark difference that was caused by the planet's proximity to the sun, and its vanishing atmosphere.

She figured that she was most likely lucky to be able to work inside – although, as far as she had observed during the past days, the soldier teams mostly relaxed in the shade of the temple, or under some trees during the hottest noon hours. Only McKay, Daniel, and she herself persisted on working simply because their curiosity outweighed all their discomfort and concerns about heatstroke.

At the moment, Sam was trying to figure out the purpose of the device in the wall that they had discovered in the evening of the previous day. It didn't seem to serve any visible purpose, which was why Sam had spent the entire day so far trying to make sense of the circuits in the control panel in the middle of the room. The surfaces, as well as the walls, were covered with symbols that neither of them had ever seen before – therefore Daniel was just as clueless as she was.

As much as she enjoyed working by herself, she couldn't deny that there was a certain eeriness to this temple and its few chambers. She wasn't even that far from the rest of the teams, but in here, she almost felt like she was in a vacuum. No sound could be heard from the outside. The only sounds that she heard occasionally were indefinable noises from behind the walls or the corners of the room – which didn't make the place any more comfortable. And it certainly hadn't made her feel any better when Rodney and Daniel had speculated that they were most likely rodents or smaller animals who used the hollow walls as shelter from the unbearable heat.

But, as always, her curiosity also outweighed this uneasiness and Sam managed to completely lose herself in the circuits which she was looking at through her magnifying glasses.

"Whatcha doing?"

She nearly shrieked and jumped, her heart feeling like it was about to jump out of her chest.

"Whoa…" Jack O'Neill, who had stepped up behind her, said, and lifted his hands. "Easy! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Oh God." Sam replied, visibly relieved when she recognized the familiar face. "I'm sorry Sir!"

"Tense?" he asked with an obviously amused chuckle and looked with curiosity at some of the measuring devices that she had hooked up to the console.

"Yeah… believe it or not, there are some strange sounds coming from inside the walls, and I haven't been able to figure out what's making them yet."

"Ghosts?" He offered with an amused twinkle in his eyes and she gave him a half-annoyed look.

"That's not funny!" She half-snapped, and then added a very belated 'Sir' when she remembered that she was talking to her camp leader.

The atmosphere between them was still slightly awkward. However, Jack had never behaved anything but respectfully towards her and nothing in his behavior betrayed that she was his wife, and so she had begun to ease up around him. Her fear that he would start treating her differently had proven to be unfounded. At least professionally…

During their off-duty hours, Jack was as charming as he had been before, but sometimes Sam felt that he was touching her a lot more than before – or perhaps she was just noticing it more. It was innocent touches on her arm, or brushing her hand while they were walking side by side, but touches nonetheless; touches that alerted her to his presence.

The first time it had happened, it had been so unexpected that she had actually twitched slightly at the contact. They had been walking next to each other down from her science tent to get some food and, out of nowhere, his hand had brushed hers, sending a thrill through her body that sent her into a spiral of confusing feelings.

She knew that she had been bad at hiding them, because she had involuntarily pulled her hand away, which had prompted him to look at her in confusion. And in that brief moment of eye contact she realized that he was aware of the emotional turmoil she was in. He hadn't commented on it though, and had simply continued their casual conversation as though nothing had happened.

Ever since then, he seemed to be touching her at every possible opportunity; his hand on the small of her back as he was holding a tent canvas open; their hands or arms brushing while they were walking next to each other or standing especially close to her during weapons training, supposedly explaining how to improve her position.

It made her painfully aware of his presence, and it seemed that he was not willing to allow her to push her feelings for him away. She knew that she should probably address the issue, but the truth was, whatever he did, it was within the boundaries of respectful behavior. He wasn't harassing her or pressuring her – and if Sam was honest with herself, she liked his touches. Maybe a bit too much…

She couldn't help smiling at his occasional jokes even though she knew that a lot of them were solely meant to coax a smile out of her. Sometimes they even fell back into their playful banter and the casual teasing that they had become so confident in before.

Despite all that, Sam tried to remain reserved with him, because she didn't want him to get the impression that she was interested in a relationship beyond friendship. It was getting harder and harder with every day that passed, though, especially on long-term field missions like this one, where they were stuck on the same deserted planet in close proximity for days at a time.

"If you want I can stay and keep you company for a bit – you know, scare the ghosts away," Jack offered with an honest smile, pulling her out of her thoughts, and the young woman cocked her head to look at him with amused annoyance at his barely-concealed mockery.

"I am not afraid of the dark, Sir. You'd be bored. I'll just be working," she replied, on the one hand grateful for his offer.

On the other hand, she really didn't want him around so much, because no matter how much she fought against the feelings, she couldn't help finding him intriguing. Especially when he stepped up so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body and his scent surrounded her – just as he did now. Even if deep inside Sam had to admit that she felt drawn to him, she knew that even the slightest romantic relationship with him would come with a lot of baggage. It wouldn't be just a fling, or dating, or exploring if they worked out – it would be a marriage. So if she ever made the decision to give in to his clever seduction, she had to be damned sure that a marriage was what she wanted – otherwise he would be off-limits.

"You could explain to me what you are doing," he offered, his face only inches from hers, as he leaned over the console to look at the open compartment with its crystals and circuits inside. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, and shifted slightly uneasily when she felt the impact that his proximity was having on her. Awkwardly she cleared her throat.

"Well, Sir, I'm just trying to figure out which circuit does exactly what, and what this device in the wall might be used for." She smiled slightly. "It's really not that interesting, especially because up to now, I haven't had the slightest bit of success."

"Ah," Jack replied and lifted himself to his full height. "This device over here?"

He went to the wall, where something like a dark console was sticking out. It had a hole in the middle in which he could vaguely see lights moving around. Curiously, he stepped closer, until Sam's voice stopped him.

"Don't go any closer!"

He spun around, looking at her with his eyebrows furrowed in a silent question at her almost insubordinate order.

"Well, Sir," Sam started to clarify, "it appeared last night, when Colonel Sheppard stepped too close to the wall, and then the hole in the middle opened when he moved in to have a closer look. We don't know what it does yet, but its primary switch seems to be activated by proximity – and therefore nobody should get too close to it, until we have figured out exactly what it is used for."

"Ah," Jack replied, eyeing the strange device suspiciously while he was walking back to Sam. "So, how long do you think this is going to take?"

"Um," she looked up mildly confused, and then looked at her devices and her notes helplessly, before lifting her eyes back to look at him. "Frankly, Sir… I don't know. Are you planning to move out?"

"No… no, I was just wondering…" Jack touched the edge of the console with his finger, leaning in as if he was looking at the crystals with interest, "whether, as soon as you're done here, I could interest you in dinner?"

"Um… with you… Sir?"

"Well… you'd be sitting next to me, but there'd still be the rest of the team around so…"

Sam stared at him mildly bemused. He was flirting with her, she realized suddenly. Granted, it was a lot more cautious than the openly seductive, predatory way that he had used before their marriage had been revealed – undoubtedly due to the very fragile state of their relationship recently – but it was flirtation nonetheless.

Sam's anger at him had vanished. In spite of the fact that she still didn't approve of the contract, she had to admit that Jack had made good on his original promise. He had not mentioned the marriage contract in weeks, or let it reflect in his behavior towards her. Not once had he tried to become protective of her as she had feared, and he had also not taken her out of missions or limited her role in them. She could respect him for that.

However, more than anything she was scared by how deeply she had fallen for him, and how easy it was for him to make her feel like she was breaking up inside. She was determined not to let that happen again.

When she had run away from home after Jonas had broken up with her, she had promised herself to become strong; however, Jack O'Neill made her feel even weaker than she had felt back then – something which she had absolutely no explanation for. Therefore, she tried her best to stay away from him on a personal level.

Jack, however, seemed to be determined to make it very hard for her to keep up her distant attitude – and he was succeeding, Sam realized, as she found herself briefly considering and wanting to agree to his invitation.

"We only have emergency rations… Sir."

She hated herself for the way her voice mirrored her insecurity, and stating the obvious wasn't really a clever retort either. He lifted his head and looked at her for a long moment. Mildly awkwardly, she returned his look, and cleared her throat. "I mean… emergency rations hardly make for a dinner… not that I'm complaining, it's just…" Stop talking, she ordered herself and closed her eyes briefly to regain her professionalism. "I have a lot of work, Sir, and this is gonna take a while."

His lips tugged into a soft smirk and he lifted himself to his full height. "SG-4 returned from Earth and brought sandwiches and beer for everybody," he explained, and she cocked her head with growing interest, the conflicting emotions inside of her mirrored on her face.

She shifted uncomfortably, and looked around at her devices, trying to ignore his charming smile. "I don't know, Sir, this is really a lot of work..."

He had to chuckle at her desperate (if not unskilled) attempt to keep them on a professional level. He turned his body fully towards her, not willing to let her out of his invitation by some vague excuse. He knew that if she really didn't want to, she would just say 'no' front on – but her hesitation betrayed to him that at least part of her wanted to agree to it. "You'll have to eat at some point… how about a break? If we don't hurry, Rodney will have eaten all the sandwiches by himself. You know his appetite."

That comment made her chuckle softly, and she lowered her head, looking at her notes. A sandwich did sound like a wonderful idea, and the more she thought about it, the more she could feel her stomach demanding for something other than emergency rations.

"Okay," she eventually announced and looked up to meet his eyes with hers.

"Great!" For a moment, his smile was completely open without the mask of control on his face that he always put on as base commander, and her heart skipped a beat at the soft expression on his face. She hated the fact that she still felt strongly attracted to him, and that he could make her heart beat faster with just a single smile. It had never happened to her before – not even with Jonas. The idea that a man could hold that kind of power over her was deeply unsettling.

"Just let me finish this series of tests. The crystals in here are arranged so complexly that I need to stick to the system I started with and finish the complete line, or I'll be lost and have to start over."

"Alright… I'll go and save us sandwiches. Turkey for you?"

She smiled in surprise. "Yes, Turkey sounds great." Her eyes rested curiously on his features, as she tried to figure out if he had just made a lucky guess or was actually aware of her favorite choice of sandwich. Granted, they had had more than one lunch or dinner together in a group; but could it really be that he had paid attention to her preferred choice of meal?

"Hey guys!"

They both turned around when they heard the familiar voice of John Sheppard, who was followed by a mildly annoyed looking Rodney McKay.

"Jack, do you mind explaining to Doctor McKay that we cannot move half of his laboratory equipment here?" John asked mildly annoyed, looking at the camp commander, and then strolling over to the console where Sam was working.

"I'm not asking for half the laboratory! But you can't honestly expect this to move fast if you refuse to give me the right equipment to work with. There are tons of tests that I cannot perform here. Would you rather I move this entire temple back to Earth?" Rodney started ranting and Jack lifted his hands to his temples.

"Alright kids… calm down. Nobody is moving anything anywhere."

Sam bent over the console again and chuckled as Jack walked over to McKay and the two started a lively discussion.

"Wouldn't wanna be him…" Sheppard commented with a wince, and Sam looked up at him from her position with a cheeky grin.

"Who? McKay, or O'Neill?"

John Sheppard couldn't help but chuckle, and smiled at her. "Both I guess." Then he strolled around the console to stand next to Sam and observe her closely. "Do you know what this thing does yet?"

"Right now, I don't even know how it works, so, no," she replied with a sidelong glance at him.

"Come on, not even a clue yet?" The soldier asked and began strolling around the room. "A wild guess? And instinct?"

"Colonel, this is science, not a guessing game," Sam replied with a smirk, concentrating on hooking the cables up to the next little crystal on the panel. It was a tricky job, because some of the contacts were so small that even her magnifying glasses weren't sufficient enough for her to hook the cables up quickly. "At this point it could be anything, from a weapon to an entertainment system. This technology is so far beyond anything we have ever seen before that I don't even know where to start…"

John Sheppard interrupted her with a painful scream, and Sam spun around.

It took her only a moment to register what was happening. Apparently, Sheppard had stepped too close to the device in the wall. It had extended itself forward for almost two feet, and was holding Sheppard's head against its center in a firm grasp with what closely resembled two hands.

"God!" Sam exclaimed and rushed over to the device, trying desperately to help the soldier free his head out of the device. After about five seconds it simply released him, and the Colonel dropped to the ground, his eyes staring emptily somewhere at the ceiling while his entire body shook in mild tremors. "Colonel Sheppard!"

"What happened?" Jack demanded as he hurried towards them, closely followed by McKay.

"I… I don't know, Sir!" Sam replied shakily, feeling the soldier's pulse. He was alive, but his pulse was erratic, and he was unresponsive. "The machine just grabbed him and… and… I don't know what it did!"

Jack went down to his knees, hitting the younger man's cheek gently. "John, can you hear me?"

Sam got up and approached the machine. There were no more lights; its center had become completely dark, and all the power seemed to have been depleted.

"What did it do to him? What's it for?" McKay asked her now as he stepped close to her to look into the center as well.

"I don't know, I wasn't able to find out yet!" Sam's voice was shaking.

"So, what? You thought it was a good idea to just let him put his head into that thing?" Rodney McKay's voice was snappy and showed more than slight annoyance. Sam spun around to face him, her voice rising in anger.

"Rodney, I did not LET him do anything! Usually people don't just run around in here and stick their heads into things, so how was I supposed to expect…"

"Well, it's Sheppard! He always touches things, you know how he is!" Rodney snapped back.

"I didn't even realize he was getting that close to the wall! One second he was standing right next to me, and the next…"

"Yeah, well, if you had been paying attention…"

"And if you hadn't been so engaged in one of your self-serving discussions…"

"HEY!" Jack's angry voice interrupted them and they both turned to look at him. "Would you two knock it off with the blaming? Sheppard needs medical attention!"

"I wasn't blaming, I merely stated how irresponsible…" Rodney started and cut himself off when Jack shot him a dark look.

"I. Don't. Care! McKay, help me take Sheppard back to the infirmary at camp. Carter, find out what this thing is for – or at least what it did to him!"

"Given that Sam hasn't been very successful in her analysis so far, maybe I should be the one to…" Rodney started and then shut up when he saw O'Neill's death glare, and nodded obediently. "Yes, Colonel. Back to camp."

"Carter, inform me as soon as you got something," Jack ordered the young woman gruffly.

"Yes, Sir," Sam nodded, and watched Rodney and O'Neill carry the nearly unconscious Sheppard out of the temple.

She was feeling guilty. McKay was right – she should have paid attention; especially because John Sheppard had a reputation for trying things out randomly before they were deemed safe by a scientist. She herself had experienced his curiosity first hand during the short time that she had been assigned to his team.

Upon moving back to the console, she could see that all of the circuits were dead. Whatever had happened to John Sheppard, it must have taken so much energy that it had completely depleted every power cell that the device had drawn energy from. With a frustrated little sound, she slammed the screwdriver onto the console and looked around.

Without power, there would be no way for her to determine what the purpose of this device had been – or how to repair it or recharge its power.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"Hey." Sam smiled almost shyly when she approached the field bed on which Colonel John Sheppard was lying. He seemed to be back to his own self – considering that Sam was interrupting a lively discussion between him and Janet about leaving the infirmary – and nothing pointed towards him being severely hurt.

"Carter! Please tell me you found something to prove to Doc Fraiser that I am absolutely fine!" The man sounded almost desperate. Sam winced slightly and shook her head.

"Sorry, Sir. The device is dead, and our only clues are the symbols on the walls and the console, but so far Daniel hasn't been able to make heads or tails of them."

"Damn. Did you at least bring me something to read then?" Sheppard muttered grumpily.

"No, I'm afraid not. I can bring you something later on, if you want. Listen…" Sam started, looking around a bit awkwardly. "About what happened…"

"Is McKay still getting on your nerves?" Sheppard asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice and when he saw Sam's confused look, he pointed towards Janet, who was returning to her desk to go through the man's test results. "The doc told me that he blamed you for it."

"Ah, I see," Sam smiled. "Well, yeah, but that's beside the point. I should have told you not to get close to it. I'm sorry… I was just completely immersed in the tests and..."

"Carter… I have a tendency to just touch things and try them out even if you science geeks tell me not to. Is the colonel giving you a hard time too?" Sheppard asked gently, sitting up slightly.

"Colonel O'Neill? No. Not at all."

Sam's eyes met his and he held hers for a long moment until he smiled softly. "Good. If he does, let me know."

"If he does what?" Jack's voice could be heard from the entrance of the tent now and Sam spun around mildly startled.

"I was just telling Carter that what happened to me wasn't her fault. And that she should tell me if you give her a hard time about it," Sheppard informed him and sank back down onto the bed.

"Ah," Jack replied, giving Sam an indefinable look for a moment, before he turned to John Sheppard. "I'm sure Carter is more than capable to talk to me herself if she felt treated unfairly. Besides, why would I blame her? I was actually coming here to have your ass for just sticking your head into alien technology – but I guess being stuck here in the infirmary with the doc for two days kind of makes my point. No offense, doc." Jack smiled at Janet, who shot him a somewhat grumpy look back and replied with an ironic "uh-huh" sound.

Sam smiled. It was no secret on base, that Jack O'Neill hated having to spend time in the infirmary more than anybody else. "Any results yet?" the base commander asked, as he turned his head back to Sheppard.

"I'm afraid not," Janet replied. "Preliminary tests indicate that there's no permanent damage, but since nobody seems to know what the purpose of this alien machine was, I honestly don't know which tests to run except for the standard ones. I'd love to keep him here for regular blood works and monitoring of his vitals to rule out any long term effects on his body."

"Keep me informed!" Jack nodded and then looked at Sam. "Carter? A word?"

"Sure," she nodded and smiled at Sheppard. "I'll come by again later and see if I can bring you some reading materials. In the meantime, don't make Janet angry!" He grimaced, and she had to laugh softly at his reaction before she hurried to follow Jack out of the tent.

"Did you find a way to recharge the device's power source?"

Sam raised her eyebrows at the uncharacteristically grouchy tone he was using.

"No, Sir. I'm afraid I'm not even sure where it drew its power from, or where to locate the power cell for that matter."

"Any results on the language written over it yet?" he went on, ignoring the fact that she had trouble keeping up with him. He was annoyed, mostly at John Sheppard. It wasn't so much the fact that the soldier had risked his own – and possible everyone else's - life with his little stunt. No, that was a professional hazard that they lived with every day, and occasionally things went wrong.

It bothered him, however, how openly the young colonel was flirting with Carter in a way that she seemed to enjoy. Worse, she was encouraging it by responding to his flirtations, and that really didn't make the situation any better.

By now, the fact that he and Sam were married had spread around camp. However, it was also known to everybody that she was opposed to the marriage and that they had therefore agreed upon disregarding the contract. That essentially gave them both the status of single people again, and Jack knew that he had no right to make any claims on the woman who was officially his wife – nor could he blame Sheppard for his behavior.

John Sheppard had a reputation with women. In all fairness, so did he himself, but somehow this time, it felt different. It was not a secret that, ever since Sam had rescued SG-2 with her computer hack, Sheppard had been interested in her. Granted, he had stepped back after Sam had chosen Jack during the team night at O'Malley's, but after their conflict over their arranged nuptials, Sheppard seemed to have taken her rejection of her marriage to Jack as encouragement.

The way Sam responded to him and his charms worried Jack. Sheppard was a lot closer to her age, and she seemed to like him.

It was ridiculous – with all their problems and the fight against the Aschen that he should focus on – to worry about something benign as her potential love interests, but somehow Jack couldn't help it. He knew he had no right to even remotely feel possessive about her, but still, the thought that she might be interested in somebody else disturbed and pained him – and it made him angry at Sheppard.

He really liked her, and he wished that she could see past her feelings of anger and return back to the state of mutual attraction that they had been in before.

"No," Sam's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "But frankly, that is more Daniel's field of expertise and I'm really not sure how I'm supposed to help him."

"Ah, I see."

"Sir?" Sam asked when he kept walking up in the direction of the archeologist's tent without even so much as looking at her. "Is something wrong? If you're angry at me for not paying attention to what Sheppard was doing…"

"It wasn't your fault, Carter. Let it go." He almost snapped, and she fell silent. He immediately felt sorry for his tone, but didn't say anything else.

"Um… if that was all, Sir, may I be dismissed?" Sam eventually started, when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything further. "I promised Colonel Sheppard I'd take him some books and afterwards…"

"Sure, go ahead!" He spun around so suddenly that she ran into his chest and he had to steady her with his arms to keep her from falling against him. "I'd appreciate it though if you refrained from complaining to Sheppard about my command decisions in the future."

"What?" Sam asked, completely confused by his request and the angry tone in his voice. "I don't understand. I didn't…"

"Forget it," Jack interrupted her gruffly. "Go. Just go find those books."

He let go of her and without another word turned around to continue his way up the field. Sam looked after him, completely baffled. What was the matter with him all of a sudden? Why was he acting like she had done something wrong – when all that she had done was defend him in front of Sheppard. Besides, it wasn't as if she had brought up the subject at all. She had merely responded to a question by the soldier.

Feeling mildly irritated, Sam turned around to make good on her promise and take some reading material to Sheppard. It wasn't her problem if Jack O'Neill was in a bad mood.

_**Alright, next update in about 5 days… **_

_I really have to reduce the frequency of updates at the moment, because I have a lot of work to do with the coming chapters and I don't want to have to go into a forced break of 2 weeks or so. _

_**And it's Review-Response-Time!**_

_**ireneballester.5**__**:**__ Wow, that's great! I mean, I'm sorry that you cried, but I was going for feelings of hurt and despair, and apparently, I succeeded. :D_

_**EvilTheLast**__**: **__Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like it! :)_

_**mmkbrook**__**:**__ Yes, from what I saw on the show, I always perceived the Aschen as somewhat robotic: very cold and reserved, with a certain amount of condescending arrogance around them. I always thought they were humans, who had developed into a very aggressive imperialistic race. _

_But just because they're human, they are no less dangerous… ;)_

_**vcm**__**:**__ UST: check. Jealously: check. Any other wishes? ;) No, but seriously, there will be a bit more UST… and with jealously, you probably meant for Sam to get jealous – don't worry, we will get there soon too. _

_**Saissa**__**: **__LOL! Don't worry, as I said: you have the right to not like Jacob. That's fine. And I love the meaning of the saying that you quoted!_

_Interestingly, in the very first draft of the story – which was a lot shorter – Jack did not let Sam go, but insisted that she share his tent. It was only when I re-read the story, that I realized, that 1.) Jack wouldn't do that, and 2.) (and more importantly) a woman like Sam wouldn't fall in love with a man like that, who essentially forced the contract on her. He had to let her go… even though it was very hard for him. _

_In the end, it has to be she, who makes the first step._

_**RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma**__**:**__ Wow! A second person with misty eyes! :D Don't worry, it will all come to a good end… _

_And the Jacob-storyarc I want to keep for a later point. Sam wouldn't be able to make good with him in the state that she's in. Later on, she will…_

_**MEPutney**__**:**__ Knox: the team already met them in the very beginning (Chapter 11 I think it was). More meetings will not occur. _

_I have not made up my mind about the Asgard yet… I originally planned it, but then I had lots of inspiration and got another really great idea._

_**Yol**__**:**__ Well, they can handle their differences. Sam wants to keep them on a professional level – it's the necessary bareer that she needs to shield herself from the conflicting emotions inside of her. And while Jack respects that, and acts professionally as well, he still doesn't give up, as you can see in the subtle hints and gestures in the beginning of this chapter. _

_They are both aware of their work – and like in chapter 13, Sam can completely go into work-mode and shut everything else out. _

_**Ann84**__**: **__Yes, there will be friendship again from now on – friendship and UST, and slowly developing romance… :D_

_**Channach**__**:**__ Are you kidding me? You and esmejasper deserve so much credit! I seriously think this story would be a lot worse without you two! There wouldn't have been the kiss for starters – and a lot of other things that got inserted after recommendations either of you made!_

_Catherine: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked the many emotions, and that it came over the way it was supposed to. _

_**ALIMOO1971**__**:**__ Well, yes, Sam did move back in with Vala and Janet. ;) It was the only logical choice at this point, after she was so opposed to the arrangements. Jack will have to learn that the way to her heart is not anger – and Sam will have to learn that he already is in her heart, whether she likes it or not. _

_**LoneWolfOneill**__**:**__ Yes, Sam is just as stubborn as her father… ;) I actually tried to set her up as the Alpha!Woman that she is on the show as well. She wouldn't just allow anybody to control her life – and if she finally submits to a man, it has to be willingly… we will get there…_

_And no Aschen spies planned so far… I don't know why that never entered my thoughts… I just didn't think of it. Especially because if the Aschen had a spy in resistance cell 4, they would know about the second Stargate… so that will have to wait a bit. ;)_

_**dpdp**__**:**__ It is amazing, how different reviewers see things… I just had another review coming in from a Guest, stating that they hoped Jack didn't get hurt, because that would be really boring. _

_Well, it is going to happen – and I think it's far from boring. But your review got so close to what I have written that it astounded me. Sam will not fall head over heels for him! But she needs a little push (okay more than one push actually…) in the right direction. :D_

_I can't promise Sam and Jack having kids at the end of this novel – Sam is still young, and she just started her career and doing the work she loves. Having kids never entered her mind before (because she was raised with the belief that she could never have any), however, the ending will definitely not disappoint you, I'm sure. _

_And I was just talking over the possibility of a sequel to this story – which would most likely go into the having children thing… but I am not sure yet. ;) At the moment I am still quite overwhelmed with finishing this one._

_**Anisette22**__**:**__ I'm glad you liked the chapters, and that they provided much needed information. More information will come soon, but I like to give it bit by bot. :D_

_**fanka77**__**:**__ Whoa, easy there… ;) This is a WIP and I try to post at least one chapter a week – usually it is 2 chapter a week. This is a very complex, long story, and most of the chapters have at least 5000 words – if not more. So I need a bit of time to revise them, get back to my beta-readers and make the chapters good. _

_I don't want to post fast just for the sake of having it out there. I love this story… and I want it to be perfect, and sometimes that means, that the update time between two chapters will be 5 or 7 days… ;) And the Epilogue is still very far away._

_I saw your review for this story on AO3. I only posted the Prologue and chapter 1-3 there by now, because I am publishing the story to this site and my own homepage for now. Once that is done, I will continue publishing to Helio, AO3, and the rest. ;) The first chapters still need to be betaed and I don't want to have to re-upload and edit them everywhere… _

_Please be patient, I will finish this story!_

_**Jackina**__**:**__ Well… Jack was furious. Sam pretty much pushed his limits. She wanted to hurt him, and she succeeded, but he is not somebody to be pushed around. He's not abusive or anything, but he will only tolerate so much… ;)_

_**Guest #1:**__ Well, there will be an occurrence, where Jack gets hurt, but essentially, no, that will not prompt them to get together. His getting hurt was needed for another story-reason. ;) It will take a lot more for her to come around. ;)_

_**Guest #2**__: I don't think that Sam is displaying too much anger. Besides, as you might read between the lines, and I have said it a couple of times, her anger works as a shield for her. The entire situation terrifies her – mostly because she realizes that she still has feelings for Jack against her will. It is her rational over-thinking the situation that causes her anger in a way. And yes, she is afraid to show her feelings - but even on the show, she's not afraid to show anger. Her awkwardness begins when it comes to intimate feelings... but not with anger._

_Jack is confused and disturbed, but essentially he thinks: Well, okay… that's great. I already like her.__Sam on the other had was opposed to this marriage from the beginning. It was one of the main reasons why she ran away – so why on Earth would she just give in now? Just because her husband turned out to be Jack? I don't think Sam would act that shallow and abandon her principle just because of some man._

_But I respect if if you think she's making a fool out of herself, and in a way she does. ;D But she's just human… so why not let her make a fool out of herself for once? :)_

_**Again, thank you everybody for your reviews and opinions! :)**_


	24. Chapter 23 - Cobwebs

_A/N: Thanks so much to **esmejasper **and **Channach** for the help with this chapter! Especially esmejasper, who rephrased a few sentences I was very unhappy with, and Channach, who helped a huge lot with Jack's injuries, and all my logical mistakes after changing them. ._

_Oh, and thanks to the creators of Tomb Raider II, who a) gave me the idea for the spider-creatures, and b) put me in the right terrified, scared-to-my-very-core kind of mood to convey the horror of spiders. ;P _

**Chapter 23 - Cobwebs**

Bzzzzzzzzzz…..

With a sigh, Sam waved the mosquito away while she walked through the tall grass of the wide, open field. She was carefully keeping a few meters behind her commanding officer – he had been cranky the entire day, and she was fed up with his snippiness and grumpy comments.

She wasn't entirely certain what had caused his foul mood. She suspected it was, at least partially, fuelled by his overhearing half of her conversation with John Sheppard a couple of days before, and incorrectly assuming that she was complaining to the other officers behind his back. However, it could also have been that, since Janet had insisted she keep Sheppard under observation for several days, SG1 had been obliged to take on the diplomatic negotiations that SG2 had been scheduled to undertake that week.

Everybody at camp knew that Jack O'Neill was not a fan of diplomatic missions. It wasn't that he considered them unimportant; it was merely that he was not of an especially diplomatic nature and therefore, he had very little to contribute and usually ended up bored out of his mind, or extremely frustrated. Or both. It was their fourth mission to the planet of the Krushar, and there was absolutely nothing to do. They were a peaceful people, and the weapons that they produced were exclusively used for hunting purposes and self-defense.

Despite their simple lifestyle, they were relatively advanced technologically. It had been a puzzle to Jack how a planet like this one could have been spared from either Goa'uld or Aschen occupation.

When he had voiced this question, however, Carter had launched into a lengthy explanation about the Krushar planet literally being located at the far edge of the galaxy in one of the outermost solar systems. That was why, during the time of summer in its northern hemisphere when the planet was at the outer side of the ellipse that it made around its sun, almost no stars were visible at the night sky. The other half year, they could see the stars of the entire galaxy spread out on the night sky.

Of course, Carter had told him much more than that – but about 30 seconds into her ramble he had just stopped listening. He wasn't in the mood for extensive explanations that involved a lot of long words and complicated sentence structures. And he was even less in the mood for diplomacy.

That was one of the reasons why they were here now, stomping through the high grass of the vast field. Daniel had assured him that he would take care of the negotiations and, in fact, things had been going very well. The Krushar people were willing to trade food with them in exchange for a few weapons as well as insight into technological and medical advances. Although the resistance itself did not possess a limitless supply of weapons, they would be able to spare a few. The gain – namely an unlimited food supply that was independent from Earth contacts and Aschen harvesters – would be invaluable for them. It was rare for them to come across planets that were not occupied by either the Aschen or the Goa'uld.

"How long do you think they will take?"

Sam stopped abruptly, having realized that her commanding officer had done the same and was now looking at her in mild annoyance.

"Well… I'm not sure, Sir. As Daniel said, it's a del…"

"Yeah, yeah, it's a delicate process," he interrupted her, and Sam shut her mouth, careful to keep her face from showing the irritation she felt at behavior. Since she insisted on keeping them on a professional level though, she knew that any snarky comment on her part would be out of line.

"Well, Sir, it was your idea to explore the fields around the village," Sam said, slightly snippier than she intended. "It has only been half an hour since we left, so they've probably not made much progress yet, but if you prefer to go back to check…"

"Carter, if I have to spend one more minute listening to Daniel politely listing things that we might offer in return for a sack of grain, I'm gonna lose it." He looked around. "That way…" He pointed towards a little forest in the distance and Sam shrugged and started following him.

She sighed and looked longingly back at the village in the distance. Then she put her eyes back on the way ahead and the figure of O'Neill, her hand holding the weapon at her side securely against her body.

After another ten minutes in silence, which Sam had spent trying to keep the mosquitos from biting her skin, she eventually hurried to catch up with her commanding officer.

"Sir, with all due respect, what exactly is it that you are looking for?"

"I'm not looking for anything, Carter, I'm just… exploring the surroundings; enjoying the landscape." He waved around and then hit the side of his neck in rising annoyance, undoubtedly to get rid of one of the mosquitos.

Good, she thought quietly. She had thought that she was the only one bothered by them.

"Damn things," O'Neill growled. "Remind me to add mosquito repellant to the list of required field pack material."

"Yes, Sir." Sam looked at the tree line, which had slowly started to become bigger in the distance. "Well, I don't think there's anything in that direction except for the forest."

"We'll see once we get there… maybe we can find some ruins that Daniel will get all exc…"

Before he was able to finish the sentence, he suddenly felt the ground breaking away from under him. Damn rabbits, he thought grimly. And it was not until he heard Sam's shriek and didn't stop falling, that he realized that he had not simply stepped into or stumbled over a rabbit hole.

"SIR!" Sam exclaimed, intuitively making a step towards him to try to get a hold on the arm of her commanding officer in order to keep him from falling into the remarkably large hole that had opened up under him now that the moss and roots that had covered it had broken away.

It was the instant that she took the step towards him that Sam realized how stupid her move was. Field Training 101, she remembered; first check to see if the rest of the ground is safe enough to stand on. But it was too late. She could feel the earth give way under her and desperately tried to grab for some roots, earth, plants – anything that she could get her hands on. It was useless. The plants were not strong enough to even remotely hold her weight. She gasped for breath when she felt herself sliding down over stones and dirt and then falling; falling into what seemed to be endless darkness.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"Carter…"

Sam stirred with a soft moan. The first thing that reached her consciousness, except for the voice calling for her, was her horrible headache. Then she felt the weird, grainy taste in her mouth, and she started coughing softly, carefully lifting her upper body to sit up and get clay and dust out of her mouth.

"Owwww…" Completely disoriented, she tried to fight the dizziness that hit her.

"Tell me about it."

Sam faltered. Jack O'Neill's voice sounded very close to her. And it sounded like he was in a lot of pain.

"Sir… where are you?" Her voice was echoing hollowly, and Sam froze at the eerie, unexpected effect. For a moment, she had to fight the panic about the darkness, and the feeling of having been buried alive.

"Over here… You okay?"

"Yeah," the young woman murmured, although she felt anything but okay. "I can't see anything… Are you okay, Sir?"

"Well, I've been better… I can't reach my flashlight." O'Neill responded, gritting his teeth against the mind-numbing pain that he knew all too well. The young woman started rummaging through her backpack. Just a few moments later, the bright light of the flashlight blinded him.

"Oh my God…" Sam murmured, as she illuminated their surroundings with the light. They were lying in what looked like an old mining tunnel with large, smooth rock faces going up about 10 meters. Sam looked up to the ceiling, looking for daylight from the hole that they fell through, but she couldn't see it.

"Don't even bother. We slid through a lot of dirt on our way down here. I don't think we're going to get back up there," Jack commented through gritted teeth and his tone prompted Sam to look at him.

"What's wrong, Sir?"

"Oh…," he grimaced in pain. "I think my arm is broken, and my ankle too, probably."

"Oh my God," Sam muttered, kneeling beside him. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know; but it was a while. You gave me quite a scare there." He replied while Sam checked his arm.

"You sure it's broken, Sir?" She asked, carefully trying to pull the jacket over his shoulder. He screamed in pain, grasping her hand.

"I'm sure, Carter! It's broken! STOP!" Gritting his teeth against the pain, he laid his head back and she looked at him with obvious concern on her face now. He tried to give her a nonchalant look – an attempt that he failed at miserably. "Not my first broken bone."

"Sir, then you know that I have to check the extent of the injury. I'll have to make you a sling." When she saw the unwillingness to let her close to his arm all over his face, she sighed helplessly. "Alright, let me take a look at your ankle then."

He gritted his teeth and laid his head back, while he let her open the shoelaces of his boots. He winced, when she pulled off his boot, but noticed immediately that the pain was bearable.

"The good news is, it's not broken, Sir," Sam informed him. "The bad news is, it's sprained and you shouldn't walk around on it too much." She moved back up beside him and then carefully started to remove his jacket. Jack helped her as best as possible, knowing that she was right. His arm had to be treated. He just wished that it was by somebody a bit more experienced in field medicine. Granted, Sam Carter did spend a lot of time with Janet Fraiser, and therefore had a lot more knowledge than other soldiers, but she had no practical experience.

"Easy…" he muttered through gritted teeth, and Sam winced.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I just have to look at it."

He muffled a scream, when she leaned on his chest slightly, and she looked at him startled. "What's wrong, Sir?"

"My chest hurts. I think I might have bruised a few ribs as well, so I'd appreciated it if you didn't…"

"Sorry…" she murmured, carefully easing his jacket off.

"I think I need a doctor. No offense to your medical skills…"

"Yeah, well, you might have to hang in there for a bit, Sir. We need to get out of here." Sam looked around, and then her eyes fell on Jack's radio that was lying next to him. He saw the direction her eyes were going and shook his head. "No use, I fell on it. It doesn't work…"

Sam pulled her own radio out of the pocket of her jacket. "Mine is still functional… I doubt the signal will be able to penetrate the rocks though." Despite her rather pessimistic evaluation, she pressed the button. "Daniel, come in…"

She waited, but heard only static through the receiver. "Daniel, can you hear me?" After another five seconds of waiting, she shook her head. "It's no use, Sir. We're gonna have to get out by ourselves or find a place where the signal will be able to penetrate the rocks." She looked at her commanding officer's arm. "I'll put your arm in a sling, but for that I'm afraid I'm gonna have to move it."

"Yeah, I was afraid you were gonna…. AH… GOD!" he screamed, when Sam carefully moved his arm to lie on his chest. Sam looked at him desperately.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" she informed him. "We have nothing that I could use as a sling, so you will just have to keep lying there for a bit until I come up with something, okay?" She tried to keep herself busy to distract her mind from the realization of how severely hurt he was. Frantically, she searched through her backpack until she had found a few pills.

"Don't worry, ensign. I'm not going anywhere…" Jack muttered in a weak attempt to joke, but Sam didn't even react. She looked at the description of the pills.

Painkillers – not nearly strong enough, but they would have to suffice for now.

"Take these." Gently, she fed him the pills and then held his head up so that he could swallow them down with water.

"I don't think they're gonna help much." He tried to smirk smugly. "Don't worry, I've been through worse. I'll be around for a while." His eyes met hers, and he saw the honest concern standing in them. He realized that she was trying to do her best, but she was inexperienced with emergencies like the one they were in, and she looked like she was on the brink of panicking.

"Carter… we're gonna get out…" Jack muttered under his breath, holding her eyes firmly and seriously, and the young woman nodded.

"I know, Sir. I know… shouldn't I be the one cheering you up?"

That comment made him smirk slightly, and she smiled weakly back at him. Then she looked around to focus on objectively evaluating the situation as she had learned during training.

She used the flashlight to search the ceiling more thoroughly and finally found the place where they had fallen through. It was just a small, dark opening; and from the distinct lack of light filtering through it, they must have slid quite a distance before they fell through the ceiling.

For a moment, she was amazed by the fact that they were still alive at all. She judged their depth to be at least 15 to 20 meters. Possibly more, depending on how many layers of rock and dirt they had slid through on their way down. That would explain why she couldn't reach Daniel on the radio

The rock walls to either side of the tunnel were high and smooth, so there was no way for them to climb back out the way that they had fallen in.

She looked around. Their only option seemed to be to follow the tunnel and hope that they would find a way out somewhere. The tunnel looked like it had been manmade, so her guess was that it belonged to an old mine or something similar. That meant that there had to be an exit somewhere that they could get out through.

Nevertheless, it still left her with the problem that Jack O'Neill was injured.

She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus. One problem at a time. She needed to take care of his injuries first. Once that was dealt with, she could face the next challenge.

Determined, she walked up to their backpacks and emptied the contents of both of them on the ground, searching through everything for something that would be of use.

Jack watched her, trying to keep his mind off the numbing pain in his arm and his chest that seemed to be getting worse by the minute. "Carter… whatcha doing?"

"I need to treat your arm first, Sir, and then I'll have to see about your ankle because I'll need you to be able to walk – or at least hop. I cannot carry all of your weight, and making our way through these caves is our only hope to find a way out." She informed him without losing her concentration. There were only few medical supplies in their backpacks, since they hadn't packed for a field mission.

They had packed their supplies for a visit to a friendly town – and just taken a few of the basics: pain medicine, hand disinfectant and a small pack of bandages that weren't strong enough to work as a sling.

Sam looked at the useless supplies for a moment, and then she started pulling her jacket and shirt off, until she was left sitting there in only her top.

"Okay, I hope this works… Sir, this is probably going to hurt." Sam looked at the man, whose forehead was covered in little drops of sweat from the pain, and he nodded.

"Yeah… GOD!" He gritted his teeth when the young woman lifted his arm gently to put the shirt under it. His breathing increased until he was panting heavily and for a short moment, Sam feared that he was going to start hyperventilating, but he calmed down again after she had carefully put his arm down. "Don't… do that… again…"

"I'm trying my best… Sir," Sam replied, blinking back tears.

"I know…" he nodded soothingly through gritted teeth.

Carefully, Sam took the arms of the shirt and wrapped them around his neck, where she tied them into a firm knot. It wasn't a state of the art sling, but it was firm and should stabilize his arm enough.

Gently, she touched his cheek. When he opened his eyes, she lifted the bottle of water to his lips, and helped him drink. "I'm done, Sir. Just lie back and rest for a moment."

Absently, she wiped her face with the back of her hand to get rid of the drying tears on her cheeks, but only managed to smear dirt all over it.

Eventually, Jack opened his eyes and looked at her. "You should go and follow the tunnels, Carter. See if you can find an exit somewhere," he muttered under his breath.

"We will, Sir, as soon as you can move." Sam replied, turning her upper body to rummage through the backpack again. "We're good on water and emergency rations for about two days."

"Yeah…" Jack moaned, grimacing as he tried to block out the pain. "I don't plan on staying down here this long."

She looked at him. "I didn't say we would be, Sir, I'm merely following protocol – just in case. As soon as you feel strong enough, we'll get you out of here."

She grabbed the bandages and then started to firmly wrap them around his ankle to stabilize his muscles and bone. He would most likely still not be able to walk, but luckily, it was his left ankle – that meant that he could wrap his healthy arm around her and she could steady him and help him hobble.

When she had used all of the bandage around his ankle, she firmly fixed it with some of the tape from her supplies.

Then she sat down and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment when her headache became overwhelming. Carefully she reached up to her forehead, realizing that she was injured as well, when she felt the warm wetness of blood near her hairline.

"Hey, you okay?" Jack's voice and the concerned tone in it, made her open her eyes again.

"Just fine, Sir… I just need a moment. I'm feeling a bit nauseous."

She turned her head when she felt him shift next to her. With a wince, he managed to sit up, careful not to move his arm, while he pulled himself over to her.

"You're head injury doesn't look good," Jack remarked, and handed her the bottle of water. The young woman took it thankfully, and drank a large sip of water.

"It looks worse than it is, Sir. I'm fine…" She touched the wound at her head and winced. "Just a mild headache…"

"Right," Jack nodded wryly, before he finally addressed her softly. "Carter, you're gonna be faster without me, and we both know that. Go, and see if you can find an exit – then you can return with help."

"No," she replied without looking at him and his face hardened.

"That wasn't a request, ENSIGN!"

"I don't care. With all due respect, Sir, you are helpless, and we have no idea if these tunnels are stable. I will not leave you behind!" Sam replied, lifting her head and locking her eyes fiercely with his. "I will not leave you behind," she repeated quieter, but firmer, her tone making clear that nothing he said would change her mind.

"Are you disobeying an order?" Jack grunted in pain, and for a moment, her face showed hesitation.

"I guess I am, Sir. You can put me on sanitary duty for the rest of my life or throw me out of the resistance all together for this, once we're back at camp." She replied feistily, while she got up. Then she leaned down to hook her arms under his healthy shoulder.

Jack grimaced, knowing very well, that he would do neither of the things she had suggested. She was following the most important rule that she had been taught during boot camp training: don't leave a team member behind.

"Can you get up?" Sam inquired gently.

"I'll try…" He lifted his upper body. Dizziness hit him instantly, but stopped again a few seconds afterwards, so he nodded towards the young woman. "I'll manage."

"Alright… let me grab our gear, and then I'll help you."

She frantically stacked all of their supplies into one backpack – since she would have to carry it all by herself. She discarded the unnecessary things and then got up to help Jack. His face contorted in pain as he got up and tried not to bump his broken arm somewhere.

Carefully he hooked his healthy arm around Sam's shoulders. The first step he made caused him to swear in pain, and he stumbled against the young woman. Sam briefly lost balance and had to fight hard to keep them both from tumbling into a heap.

"SIR!" She grabbed the man around the chest intuitively, and he grit his teeth against the additional pain her grip was inflicting on him. He felt as if all the air was being pressed out of his lungs, and simultaneously somebody was stabbing a knife into his right side. "What are you doing? You shouldn't use your left foot!"

"I don't think you can carry my weight enough to steady me for that," he said with a wince, panting heavily as he looked at her. Sam cocked her head and gave him a mildly annoyed look.

"I'm stronger than I look, Sir. Besides, let that be my problem. I definitely won't be able to carry your weight if you pull another stunt like that. Come on, that way." She indicated the way forward with her flashlight.

"Funny, last I checked, I was the one in charge," he growled, hopping one step after the other in the direction that she had pointed at, his arm firmly wrapped around her shoulder.

"You are, Sir. You wanna go the other way?" She offered with a hint of irony in her voice, and Jack looked at her. He was sure that her getting smart with him was not appropriate, but then again, he really wasn't feeling up to pulling her up on it at that moment. Exhaustedly, he glanced over his shoulder at the way behind them. They had already moved two meters – which wasn't much, but, given that he was hopping, and that every single hop sent an agonizing jolt of pain through his arm and chest, it looked like miles.

"No… no, that way's fine," he eventually offered and Sam smirked. She herself was panting with exhaustion, because – as much as she hated to admit it – Jack had been right. Due to his height – and muscle mass – he was considerably heavier than she had estimated, even though he was only supporting part of his weight on her.

They made their way through the cave system slowly and carefully, their steps resounding eerily from the dark high rock walls that were surrounding them. The air was cool, but somewhat damp, and inwardly, Sam hoped that they were not moving further down into the caves into an area that was filled with toxic gas.

When they eventually came to a crossroads, Sam pulled out a lighter and a piece of chalk from the backpack to mark their way, and checked if she could feel a breeze of wind somewhere, while Jack leaned against the wall, fighting nausea and trying to regain a little bit of his strength.

"Nothing," Sam finally commented, when the flame of the lighter that she had ignited didn't move a bit. "So we'll have to go on guts."

"Okay…" Jack nodded. "The right one."

Sam looked at him hesitantly, and then scanned the three tunnel entrances. They all led into tunnels whose ceilings were a lot lower. They would still be able to walk comfortably, but there was no indication about whether they were walking even remotely in the right direction.

Eventually, Sam turned around to help her commanding officer lift himself back up. He grunted in pain and she looked up at him worried. "Do you want to rest some more?"

"I'm fine." His strained voice indicated that he was anything but fine, but Sam decided to go with his foolish pride. He was probably right. His injuries wouldn't get any better, so it was best to move as fast as they could manage. Hopefully they could get him back through the Stargate during their next window.

"Where did you learn the fire thing?" Jack finally muttered under his breath, when they had moved along the cave for another five minutes. Sam raised her eyebrows.

"The lighter you mean? Sheppard taught me while I was working on SG-2. We were exploring a cave system on P2Y-412." She explained.

"Ah…" Jack nodded, and then added with a grouchy undertone. "Sheppard."

Sam looked at him from the side, her breath coming heavy. Alright, she was sure that his tone had not been due to pain. What the hell was going on between him and Sheppard? And most importantly, why was he taking his anger out on her? It wasn't like him to treat subordinates unfairly. "You wanna tell me what's wrong, Sir?" she asked with a hint of anger in her strained voice.

Jack looked at her in momentary confusion, and raised his eyebrows. He stopped to stretch his upper body carefully, since inhaling was becoming more and more painful.

"Sheppard," Sam said, stopping as well, grateful for the short break that enabled her to catch her breath. "You've been in a foul mood since he got his head stuck in that thing, and every time someone mentions his name you start getting snippy."

"Carter, this is neither the place nor the time to talk about this." Jack leaned against the wall behind him, trying not to stand on his injured leg.

"Oh, I beg to differ, I think it is the perfect place and time. It's only us; nobody else around. Just an empty tunnel and a long walk with plenty of time to air any issues. If I've done something wrong, or if you have a problem with my performance, or I did something to else to justify your anger, please tell me." She leaned against the wall opposite to him, and fixated him with her eyes while she tried to get her breathing back under control.

When he remained silent, she shook her head with an angry little snort. "Fine, Sir, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. But I'm telling you, if you snap at me one more time – like you did just now – I won't care if you're my superior officer. I will just walk away!"

"Sheppard likes you." O'Neill finally opened up in a strained voice, feeling the pain in his chest slowly subside.

"What?" Sam asked, completely dumbfounded by the abrupt revelation, and she just stared at him when he stopped talking. "I thought… Is that really what this is about?"

She stared at him, but he didn't continue. "I like him too; he is a good guy and a good friend."

"Sam…" he pressed in a tortured voice and inhaled deeply. "I wasn't talking about friendship. Sheppard is flirting with you."

Sam's stance loosened up a little when she processed his words. "So what? He flirts with everybody. It doesn't mean anything," she remarked weakly, and Jack raised his eyebrows.

God, that woman, he thought. She had really been oblivious to the more than obvious sincere interest that the young, handsome colonel was harboring for her. "Yes, it does. I know him. Friendship is certainly the last thing on his mind."

"Oh…" She shook her head, put off for a moment. John Sheppard had a reputation with the ladies, and it was also well-known that he mostly had short affairs. However, lately he had spent a lot of effort to be in her company – whether it was to have her explain some alien technology, or to crack a joke and chat.

Sam had immediately assumed that it was for reasons of friendship – after all, she had spent a good time working on his team under his command, and they had gotten to know each other really well. It dawned on her suddenly though, that his behavior had changed. He complimented her, and was uncharacteristically interested in her work.

He was good friends with Rodney McKay, so he definitely didn't need her to explain astronomical phenomena…

A soft groan escaped her when she inwardly wondered how she could have been so naïve, her feelings openly reflected on her face.

"Are you interested in him?" Jack finally inquired after a moment of silence, pressing a hand to his hurting chest and Sam's eyes shot open.

"What?" She stared at him.

"It's a simple question."

"And none of your business," Sam remarked sharply, immediately feeling sorry for being so harsh. She slowly began to realize why he had been in such a bad mood recently. He was jealous because he thought that she was becoming more than friends with John Sheppard. She exhaled deeply before she finally offered, "I didn't join the resistance in order to find a boyfriend, Sir. That includes John Sheppard. He's a superior officer. And a good friend. Nothing more." A fact that she would have to make clear to the young colonel very soon, before he got his hopes up, she thought quietly.

"Ah…" Jack nodded, somewhat relieved.

With a distinct warning in her eyes, Sam looked at him firmly. "That does include you as well. I'm only telling you this as a courtesy."

She didn't know why exactly she felt the need to make clear to him that she wasn't interested in John Sheppard. And while she didn't want him to think that she and Sheppard were becoming more than friends, she also didn't want him to get his hopes up that she was changing her mind about their marriage. The situation between them was complex, and she was not in the mood to get into another discussion about their relationship in their current state.

"Yeah," Jack replied with a slight nod. "I got that."

The young woman was just about to add another warning about him getting involved, when a sound made her falter. She stood frozen against the cold rock wall of the tunnel, listening into the silence.

Jack looked at her for a long time, before he started, "Sam, I didn't mean to…"

"Shhhh…." Suddenly Sam crossed the distance between them and covered his mouth with her hand, stopping his apology in its tracks. Nervously, she scanned their surroundings. Jack looked at her, his eyebrows rising in confusion, and when Sam eventually released his mouth, he shot her a quizzical look.

She placed her index finger in front of her lips, signaling him to be quiet, while she kept listening into the absolute silence.

"Carter?" Jack inquired after a few moments.

"I am sure I heard something, Sir, and it wasn't far away. It was like a scraping sound."

They became quiet again as they both listened to the hollow silence in the cave system. Every now and then, they could hear the echoing sound of water dropping somewhere, but other than that, it was completely quiet.

"Are you sure you didn't just…" imagine that, was what Jack had been about to say, but he cut himself off. She was right; now he had heard it too. It sounded like a scratching, scraping sound – like something was dragging and scuttling along the cave-floor. It wasn't there all the time – just irregularly every now and then, but it was getting louder! Something was definitely coming towards them.

Sam reacted instantly, and pulled the gun out of its holster at her hip, handing it to Jack quietly. Then she lifted her P90.

"We should only shoot if we are absolutely certain to hit, Sir. The bullets might ricochet off the walls and hit us – besides, we don't have unlimited ammunition." Her voice was hushed. Due to the echoes in the tunnel system, it was hard for them to hear which direction the sounds were coming from or how close they were, so they waited, both strained and focused.

Finally, the sounds stopped and it became eerily quiet. Neither of them dared to move or even breathe as they listened quietly into the absolute silence.

Eventually, after about a minute, Jack said hushedly. "Let's start moving. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"Yes, Sir." Sam nodded, and lowered her gun, her senses still piqued as she wrapped the arm of her commanding officer around her neck to steady him again.

They had not even walked two steps, when suddenly, there was a sound behind him.

Sam reacted instantly. She pushed her commanding officer against the wall, turned around and started shooting. It wasn't one second too late. An enormous spider-like creature, that was almost half as big as she herself was, had been crawling towards them on the ceiling, and was now lying on its back on the ground struggling to get back up.

It failed miserably, due to the bullets that had hit its massive body. After a few moments, its movements became slower, before they stopped all together. The creature rolled its legs up against its body in a last move before it died.

Sam stared at it completely frozen. Never before has she seen a spider of this size. She had never suffered from arachnophobia, but, in the face of a creature this big, she could feel a mild panic rise inside of her. The creature was black, and its large round body and the eight legs were covered with dark fur. Its eight black eyes stared at Sam lifelessly.

It was only when she heard O'Neill's soft moan, that she dragged her eyes away from the creature that seemed to have sprung right out of a nightmare.

He was lying on the ground against the wall. Her heart almost stopped, because she really feared that one of the bullets might have ricocheted and accidentally hit him. However, when she bent down, she realized, that it had been her abrupt push that had made him fall. He was holding his chest and struggling for breath.

"Sir?" Sam asked gently and touched his shoulder. He opened his eyes.

"A little… warning… would be nice… next time… Carter." He was panting heavily, struggling for air. He had fallen on the side with the broken arm, and she could only imagine the immense pain that he had to be in.

"Oh God, Sir… I didn't mean to push you so hard."

"It's fine, considering what was about to attack me from behind." His face was still contorted in pain. "You saved me from... What the hell is that?"

"Looks like a spider, Sir."

"Well, that is one big-ass spider," O'Neill said and struggled to sit up.

"Yes, Sir." Sam nodded. "And like all spiders it seems to be carnivorous. It just goes for larger prey."

"You mean US?" he asked when the implications of what she was saying dawned on him.

"I'm afraid so."

"Let's hope it was the only one!"

At that very moment, a loud screeching sound could be heard in the distance from somewhere in the tunnel, and they both looked at each other startled.

"I guess that answers that," Jack commented dryly and gritted his teeth when he lifted himself up to a standing position again with the help of Sam.

"Will it be alright for you to walk?" Sam asked visibly concerned and Jack looked at her somewhat sarcastically.

"No, but I don't think I have much of a choice. I'm even less okay with staying here and getting eaten by one of those… things. Let's go."

They slowly continued to make their way through the small tunnel, both frantically hoping that they were not walking towards a dead-end or directly into the nest of the monster-spiders. With every additional minute that passed, walking seemed to become more of a strain on Jack.

Every now and then, Sam pulled out the small lighter, and she noted with satisfaction that there was now a noticeable breeze of air flowing through the tunnel; and it became stronger as they progressed. The flame was dancing visibly in the current of air. If they followed the direction that it originated from, they might reach an opening at some point.

Of course, there was no guarantee that this opening wouldn't just be a tiny hole in the wall; it was a chance they just had to take since they lacked other options.

After almost another hour, Jack was visibly sweating, his skin cool, and his face was noticeably paler. "Carter… I think… we'll have to take a break… just a moment."

Sam let go of him to allow him to lean against the cold stone wall. He was shivering slightly, and she felt his forehead, unable to hide her concern. "You're running a fever, Sir."

"Yeah, I figured that…" he nodded, and closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't feel so good."

Those words alone devastated her and made her painfully aware that his injuries had to be more severe than what she had assessed. Jack O'Neill was not known for admitting his weaknesses. Therefore the fact that he didn't have the power to act tough anymore, alerted Sam. She didn't know what to do, so she just stood there a moment, looking around and listening quietly into the dark.

"You should go on without me."

"Not an option, Sir." The young woman shook her head firmly. "Especially not now that we know about the spiders."

"Sam!" Jack insisted almost impatiently now. "You can leave me a weapon, so that I can defend myself. You'll be faster alone, and once you have found a way out, you can get help."

"No!" she exclaimed with an audible determination in her voice, and his head shot up to look at her. Their eyes met and, for a moment, the fear and desperation he read in hers distracted him from his pain. "I will not just leave you here. We will either both get out, or we will both die here."

"That is the stupidest thing you have ever said," Jack scolded softly, and sank down against the wall.

"Sir, just answer me one question. If the situation was reverse, and I was the one hurt… would you just leave me behind?" His look served as enough of an answer for her.

"That's different." He started to justify, but she wouldn't relent.

"No, it really isn't. Not from my perspective."

"You're…"

"If you say 'a woman' now…" Sam interrupted him warningly, and Jack chuckled with a wince.

"Relax, Carter. I was going to say 'under my command'. I am your superior officer; that means that I am responsible for your safety." He closed his eyes in exhaustion.

Sam went to her knees and crawled up next to him, her trembling fingers touching his hair. "Sir…" For a moment, it looked as if he was unconscious, but then he opened his eyes again. Relieved, Sam pressed him against her body, rubbing his shoulders and arms. He was shaking from exhaustion and cold, and she didn't know how to help him.

"Don't give up, okay? Promise me that you won't give up and I will promise to get you out of here." Her fingers grazed his face that was covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, and she looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Jack!"

"I just want to close my eyes for a few minutes…" he murmured exhaustedly more to himself, and Sam went through her backpack hurriedly to get out the bottle with water and put it to his lips. He was burning up and she was torn between granting his request and urging them to move on. His condition was worsening with every minute, and allowing him to rest would most likely not help him at all. She needed to get him back to camp – to Janet.

Softly, she slapped his cheeks.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me, Sir."

"Carter…" he murmured in a soft protest and opened his mouth to drink some of the water that she was offering. When he was done, he leaned his head against her chest and closed his eyes again. Sam's fingers brushed though his short, unruly hair and for a moment, she lowered her head to bury her face against it. Desperately, she fought the feelings of fear inside of her.

Almost tenderly, her fingers held his body against her.

"Sir, we have to start moving again." Her murmur was soft against his head, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Just a few more minutes."

"That's not going to make you feel better! You need a doctor, and I can't carry you to one – so you have to walk. Come on, get up on your feet." She forcefully pulled him up as best as possible, and he assisted her when he realized that she would not let him rest.

His weight was resting a lot more heavily on her now, since he seemed to be on the brink of unconsciousness and Sam felt like she was about to break down. Nevertheless, she refused to give up. She would not leave him behind, because that would mean losing him. There was no way that he would be able to defend himself against dangers, even if she left him all the weapons in the world. She would leave him behind to die – and before she did that, she would rather die herself.

It took another half an hour, before they finally reached the end of the tunnel they were walking in – only to walk into a huge cavern with a vast valley in its middle from which dozens of tunnels started. The cavern looked big enough to hold a small town, and judging from the unfinished tracks that were lying on the ground everywhere, they had indeed fallen down into an old mining system, which had been abandoned before it had even been finished; possibly due to the large spider animals that apparently lived there.

The site looked as if it had been left in a hurry. On the other side of the large cavern, Sam could recognize a small makeshift wooden hut with debris in front of it.

"Sir, we need to get over there. I can see boxes, which might contain things that we could use. It doesn't look like the miners took a lot with them when they left. Maybe I can find a plan of these mines and get one of those old mining wagons to work to get us out of here."

He nodded weakly, and Sam wasn't sure if he understood what she was saying at all. She wished for a moment that Janet were here. The doctor would have certainly been able to do more for Jack, even with the limited supplies that they had.

Carefully, they moved along a dirty, stony path into the valley in the middle of the huge cavern. The path wound its way through between natural rock formations and stones, but it was easy to walk on, and not too steep.

Sam's eyes were scanning their surroundings in alert. With the confinement of the small tunnel gone, the possibility for an unexpected attack by one of the spiders was considerably increased. If they were anything like their smaller counterparts on Earth, they especially liked hiding in dark places and corners – and the large cavern provided many of these potential hiding places. Sam couldn't see the ceiling in detail, since it was too far up and a lot of it was hidden in a shady darkness, but she could see moss covering it here and there.

Daylight came in here and there through a few hole-like openings in the ceiling, but there was no way that they would get that far up to reach one of the openings. The cavern had the height of a large building.

The way through the small valley and over the lines of tracks was a little more bothersome given the fact that Jack was becoming weaker by the minute.

After what seemed to Sam like an eternity, they finally reached the small hut, which had been erected against one of the cave walls at the other end of the valley.

Carefully, Sam helped her commanding officer to sit down on the ground against the rotting, moldy, wooden wall of the hut. When his weight was gone, she realized how much her muscles were hurting from carrying and supporting his weight and she went down to her knees in front of him. The pounding in her head was getting worse by the minute, but she ignored it.

"Sir…" she said softly, and he leaned his head back against the wall, looking at her through foggy eyes.

"Carter…" he murmured. "So… cold…"

Sam pressed her lips together to fight down the wave of fear that coursed through her at his words and nodded with a sad smile. "I know, Sir… Listen…" She touched his cheek softly, which prompted him to look at her. "I need you to focus for a moment. I will give you my gun to defend yourself. I will have to search the inside of the hut, and I want you to shoot at the slightest sign of trouble. You don't have to hit anything. Just shoot, and I will be here, okay?"

"Sam…" he murmured again, and she nodded under tears, when she realized that he had not followed a word of what she had said.

"Yes, I am here." Carefully, she rearranged his arm in the sling, since it was on the verge of slipping out. It was starting to turn an odd shade of blue and purple and judging from the absence of pain as she was moving it, his arm was going numb, which mean that the fracture had to be more complicated than what could be fixed with a sling and field supplies.

Everything about his appearance showed that he was going to go into shock, and he needed surgery and antibiotics soon. Very soon.

Sam looked around frantically. There was no way that she was going to get him out fast. There were so many things to do in order to find an exit: search the hut, repair one of the wagons, and then figure out which one of the tunnels lead to the exit of the mine. Frantically, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Sir!" Her voice was pointed and echoed in the vast cave and his eyes shot open. "I need your help, I can't do this by myself. You have to stay focused. You don't have to move, but you have to look out for attacking spiders. Can you do that for me?"

"Can't… breathe…" he murmured weakly, and she helped him rearrange his position until breathing came easier to him.

The way he was holding the sides of his body made Sam suspicious, and carefully, she pulled his shirt out of his pants to push it up and reveal his skin. Then she gasped in shock. His upper abdomen was badly bruised, right over his ribs, and another lighter bruise was starting to form at his waist.

"You didn't just bruise your ribs. At least one of them is broken," she whispered, looking at him in a mixture of soft reproach and consternation. It was the side that he had fallen only when she had pushed him out of the way of the spider, so what if it had been the fall that had caused his injury?

For just a second, she felt about ready to go into a full-fledged panic attack. It was her fault… she had made his injuries worse! She felt tears burn in her eyes and couldn't breathe… until suddenly his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her brief paralysis.

"Gimme your gun," he murmured weakly, and Sam nodded under tears. She unclipped her handgun. If there was any chance for them to get out of this mess, it would be up to her. She had to get him out and safely back to camp so that he could be treated by Janet. And she wouldn't be able to do that if she panicked, therefore she had to force herself to remain calm.

Just until they were safe, she promised herself. Then she could allow the fear and panic to get the upper hand – but not yet!

"Just stay here and don't move." She placed the handgun firmly in the wounded man's hand and looked deeply into his eyes. "And focus, Sir. Please don't shoot me by accident."

"I'd never…" he muttered, and Sam forced herself to smile.

"No, you wouldn't. I will find a way out of here. I won't be far, so if there's anything you need, just call me – or shoot."

With those words, she started moving. She broke open the rotten door of the hut with a firm kick. It was so decayed, that it splintered apart upon opening. Sam started to search around inside. There were a few tools and boxes, which contained something that had most likely been food once. But it was spoiled now, and she had no use for it. The tools however might suffice to repair one of the wagons, she decided.

When she searched one of the old shelves in the corner of the room, she found a few rolled up papers and unfolded them. Most of them were construction plans for mining machinery, but one very dusty one did indeed look like a plan of the mines.

She blew on it and then wiped over it the get some of the dust and dirt off, but it only mildly improved her ability to read the old map. It was just too moldy and the paper was starting to decompose, so she had to work with it as it was.

Grabbing the little box with tools under her one arm and holding the old map in her other hand, she left the hut. Then she moved to the closest wagon that was standing on the tracks about sixty feet away. The wheels were slightly rusty, but other than that, it seemed to be fully functional. With all of her effort, she tried to move the steering stick on the back of it. It took some time before she managed to loosen the rust. The levers in the middle could be used to easily accelerate, and after having ascertained that they were functional, Sam exhaled with relief.

Now she had a means to get them both out fast. All she had to do now was to find out which one of the tunnel entrances would lead them outside – and then she had to maneuver the wagon into the right track.

She placed the map on the thick wooden planks of the wagon and looked at it frantically. A number of symbols were scribbled in various parts that represented tunnels, but Sam didn't know how to decipher them. None of them looked even remotely like a sun, or something that would equal an exit sigh. Frustrated, she hit the solid wooden planks of the wagon with her fists. Why couldn't Daniel be here? He was good with different languages, and he knew the writing system of this planet.

Sam looked up at the cavern ceiling way up high, where she could see a few small openings that allowed daylight in. They were way too high for them to reach… but they gave her an idea.

Technically, if any of these tunnels led outside, there should be a measurable breeze at the entrance of the tunnel, which led to the exit, where air passed through. There was tons of old dry wood lying around here. If she started little campfires at the entrance of each tunnel, she should theoretically be able to see where the exit was due to the breeze that made the flames dance; provided that there was an exit at all and it hadn't been buried over the years when parts of the tunnels collapsed...

Sam closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on the task at hand, and not dwell on possibilities. She would cross that bridge if she came to it.

With her plan in mind, she started moving fast. She ran from place to place and collected everything that she could use to start a fire. Whenever she had gathered an arm full, she ran to a tunnel entrance and lit a campfire.

Soon after, she had managed to light up six fires. Most of the flames were calm and steady, only in front of one tunnel, the flames were dancing wildly in the stream of a significant breeze of air.

"Yes!" Sam whispered to herself, finally feeling like she was getting somewhere. She prayed inwardly that the tunnel would lead to an exit – and not just take them to some small opening that they wouldn't be able to pass through. However, judging from the fact that it went uphill, it was a reasonable conclusion that it did indeed lead to the original exit of the mine.

Sam raced back to the rotten hut, her steps resounding eerily in the large cave.

"Sir…" she panted when she reached the man, infinitely relieved when she saw him lift his head and look at her drowsily.

"Carter…"

"I need you to get up."

"Can't breathe…" he murmured, staring to cough softly. Sam winced, realizing that moving him again was possibly not idea considering his injuries, but she saw no other choice.

"I know, Sir… it's not very far… and then you can rest." She placed her hand at his cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. "Please, Jack."

That seemed to spur him on, for he shifted painstakingly and tried to sit up. His efforts ended in him starting to cough violently, and Sam closed her eyes when she saw the drops of blood on his mouth. His broken ribs had to have damaged his lungs… but there was nothing that she could do to help him, and she needed to remain calm and focused, therefore she got up determinedly.

"Okay, come on," she said gently, ignoring the burning in her muscles. It took all of her willpower and all of her energy to lift him up from the ground, but finally, he was standing next to her, his arm over her shoulder and his body heavily leaning into her. "You just have to make it to that wagon over there. Then you can lie down and rest. You think you can do that?"

"Yeah…" he nodded, not sounding very convincing.

It took a while until they had finally reached the wagon, and when they did, Jack nearly fell down on it. Sam dragged him, so that he was fully lying on the broad wooden surface, and then pulled off her jacket to place it under his head, so that he could breathe easier. Then she climbed onto the wagon as well, and started to push the lever that moved them forward.

She started out slowly, carefully scanning the tracks for debris or switches that she needed to change. Whenever she spotted either one of them, she stopped and jumped down to take care of it. It took her quite a while to maneuver the wagon onto the right track that led out of the cave into the right tunnel., but finally she succeeded.

"Alright, Sir…" she finally said to the half-unconscious man, when she climbed back up onto the wagon. She had removed the remains of the fire that she had started before and the tracks were now free for them to use. "I've got it now. We'll be out of here in no time, and then I will get you to a doctor." That was if they didn't run into a dead-end, she added quietly in her mind.

She turned on her flashlight and lit up the tunnel ahead of her to be able to see where they were going. Then she set the wagon into motion again. It was surprisingly easy to gain sufficient speed to make it up the tracks. Even though the gradient wasn't very strong, she had still worried that she might have to use a considerable amount of muscle power to get them uphill.

She concentrated on moving the lever while shining out the tracks ahead of them with the lamp. The tracks were surprisingly clear, albeit rusty – which was a good thing. Sam wasn't keen on having to stop every few meters to clear debris out of their way.

She ignored the stinging pain in her muscles that resulted from her efforts to keep the wagon moving.

The way through the tunnel was long, and although it mostly went uphill, there were instances where the tracks led downhill again, making Sam worry slightly that they might be moving into the wrong direction after all.

Eventually, however, the tunnel transformed from a broad, uneven rocky path with rocks sticking out from the walls and leading the tracks around in curves into a regular, visibly man-made tunnel. In the light that her flashlight provided, Sam could clearly see occasional wood-constructions that were steadying the ceiling of the tunnel. The crass change and the sophistication of the tunnels told her, that they had to have been built first – whereas the rest of the mine had most likely been under construction when the mine had been abandoned.

That also meant that they were on the right path.

A strange thudding sound behind them pulled her out of her thoughts, and mildly confused, Sam turned her head. She expected to see her backpack somewhere on the tracks behind her, because her first association with the sound had been that they had lost something from the wagon.

Instead, she saw one of the spider animals following the wagon at a worryingly fast pace.

"Oh boy…" she muttered under her breath, and turned back around to look at the tracks ahead of them. She directed the flashlights towards the ceiling and her eyes widened in uprising panic. It was covered in huge cobwebs and every here and there, she could make out the large body of a huge black spider, sitting near the web and waiting for prey. "Oh, that's not good…"

She turned around to look at the spider that was tracking them. It had gotten considerably closer, and so Sam picked up speed. It was risky, she knew that. Her flashlight wasn't strong enough to light far into the distance ahead of them, so she had no idea what the tracks looked like. However, it seemed to her even less desirable to let the huge carnivorous arachnid catch up with them.

Frantically she kept her eyes fixated on the tracks.

Another thudding sound…

Sam didn't even have to turn around to know that they had a second spider on their trail now. Still, the loud screeching sound that one of the animals released and that echoed through the tunnel pierced marrow and bone and made her freeze for a moment.

It was several repeated thudding sounds behind them, that finally made her turn around. Over a dozen spiders were tracking them, crawling over the floor, along the wall and upside down along the ceiling. Their long, hairy legs moved so fast, that all that Sam could see clearly was their large round bodies and their head with its eight eyes and disturbingly sharp black teeth.

They weren't coming any closer, so that was a plus, she thought, when suddenly, the wagon rumbled over a larger rock that had been lying in the middle of the tracks. The wagon lurched about for a moment, and Sam kneeled down holding on to the wooden surface, actually fearing for a moment that it might go off the tracks and crash into one of the rocky walls.

Nevertheless, the heavy vehicle steadied again, and the young woman released a shaky breath. She started picking up pace again, when suddenly, she saw something ahead.

Light!

Daylight coming through little openings in between…

"Oh no," she muttered under her breath, when she realized what that meant. The entrance to the mine had apparently been sealed shut, and there was no way that she would have enough time to open in with the spiders on her tracks.

Without thinking, she reached for the backpack and picked out one of the grenades that they carried. It didn't have a lot of force, but maybe it would be enough to kill a few of the spiders and scare the rest away.

She briefly considered just throwing it at the sealed-off entrance, but since she had no idea how stable the tunnels were, she didn't want to risk blocking the exit ahead of them. If the tunnel behind them collapsed, all the better. That would at least take care of the spiders.

Determinedly, she pulled the safety pin out, pointed the flashlight at the tracks behind her and threw the grenade. Then she tossed herself down over her unconscious commanding officer to shield him from the blast.

The confinement of the tunnel made the explosion sound hollow and immense, and for a moment Sam felt as if her head was exploding too. She felt dizzy and disoriented and a low buzzing-sound started to roll in her ears.

Then she looked up and pointed the light at the tunnel ahead of them. Their wagon – although considerably slower now since she wasn't pushing the lever anymore – was still moving, and so the exit was still coming closer. With infinite relief, Sam realized that it was still open. The explosion had not caused the tunnel ahead of them to collapse.

Her head spun around and she used her flashlight to scan the tunnel behind them. In the distance, she could see that a considerable part of it had collapsed, with dead spiders lying in the tracks everywhere. However, it had not closed all together, and through a large hole another spider was crawling.

"For crying out loud…" she muttered and pulled a second grenade out of her backpack. For a moment, she wished that she had not so generously discarded the explosives when she had packed her field pack that morning. But after all, it had just been a friendly, diplomatic mission and who would ever have thought that she would get stuck in a cave with freaking monster spiders?!

She pulled out the safety pin, and threw the grenade, while at the same time using the lever again to allow their wagon to gain speed. She didn't allow for more than two seconds to pass, before she threw herself over the unconscious man again, shielding his body with hers and covering his ears with her hands.

The world became blurry for a moment, and Sam didn't know whether the soft shaking that she felt was actually the earth moving, or whether that was her body and ears reacting to the aftereffects of the explosion.

Frantically she turned around. Another part of the tunnel had partly collapsed, and at least for now, she could not see any more spiders behind them.

She looked ahead. Daylight was only about fifteen meters away now. She jumped off the wagon, and lit the blocked entrance with her flashlight. It had been closed with wooden planks which would be easy to rip out, she estimated.

And then she froze…

Two large spiders were sitting in the corners above the exit. It would have been no problem for Sam to get rid of the planks, but there was no way the spiders would let her do that without attacking in the process. It looked like the blasts of the explosions had made them go into high alert, and they had fixated her with their dangerous, dark eyes, their bodies unmoving.

There was no time for meticulous planning or strategy, Sam decided. Determinedly, she grabbed her P90, and without even thinking about it, she started shooting at the first creature. It twitched and futilely tried to move towards her, but the speed with which the bullets hit its body overwhelmed it, and it fell to the floor.

While Sam was focusing her efforts on killing the first spider, the second one had gone into full alert, and was crawling along the ceiling and sidewall towards Sam. The young woman gasped, when suddenly, it let itself fall down onto the tracks right in front of her with a thudding sound that sounded preternaturally loud to her ears. With a little shriek, she started shooting at it blindly while taking a few hurried steps backwards.

Then she saw it jump in the flashlight, and at the next moment she fell to the ground from its heavy body hitting her.

Sam screamed, her entire body going into a momentary paralysis when she felt the giant insect on her, it's hairy legs touching her naked arms and wriggling themselves around her. Frantically she started shooting up, hoping to hit its massive body somewhere where it would cause lethal damage.

It was a close call, but she got lucky. Suddenly, the animal started twitching against her and released one last eerie screeching sound right next to her ear. Then it stopped moving and collapsed on top of her. Sam kept shooting even after the creature was immobile, her entire body trembling with adrenaline.

"God…" she then exclaimed, fighting the disgust and panic that threatened to take over her mind, and frantically struggled to push the creature off her.

She stumbled a few times in the attempt to get up, feeling as if it was still on her body, even when she had managed to shake it off to lie on the tracks. Never ever did she want to see a spider again in her entire life!

Moving around the dead body of the animal, she didn't let it out of her eyes as she went up to the exit. The wooden planks were moldy and degraded, and it only took a firm kick to break them apart. One by one, Sam ripped them away from the wooden frame that they had been nailed against, until she had opened the exit.

Daylight streamed into the tunnel.

Hurriedly, she grabbed one of the planks and then ran back to the wagon. With a disgusted shudder, she pushed the huge bodies of the spiders off the tracks and then discarded the plank and pulled herself back up onto the wagon.

It didn't take a lot of effort to get the wagon moving again, and Sam exhaled in relief when they finally moved out into the broad daylight. Shakily, she sank down, and just allowed the wagon to use the rest of its momentum until it finally came to a halt when the tracks disappeared in the earth and sand outside.

"Sir…" she eventually whispered, touching her commanding officer's shoulder.

He wasn't moving.

"Sir!" Sam's voice was firmer and she leaned over him. His breath was firm and steady and his pulse was strong as well, but he was running a high fever and he had drifted off to unconsciousness. Gently, she slapped his cheeks. He didn't respond. "Come on… please…"

Tears started spilling down her cheeks and she sat up, looking around frantically. She had no idea how to get him away from here if he was unconscious. She couldn't carry him all by herself. The tracks outside were not usable anymore. Most of them weren't even visible anymore since they had disappeared under grass, sand and plants over the years; therefore using the mining wagon for transportation was out of the question as well.

"Please wake up…" she whispered again with a sob, placing her lips on the hot cheek of the man. "Jack!"

No matter how much she tried, he didn't open his eyes. That was when she remembered her radio. She sat up and started searching in the backpack frantically, until finally, she pulled it out with shaky hands.

Praying that it would still work, she pushed the button. "Daniel, come in. Can you hear me?"

There was a crackling sound, and then Sam almost screamed in relief when she heard the familiar voice of her friend.

"I can hear you. Sam, where are you? We've been searching for you since noon."

"We fell into an old mine… Daniel, I need help. The colonel is badly hurt, and I can't get him away."

"Um… okay, where are you? Is Jack conscious?" Daniel's voice replied hurriedly, when he heard the urgency in Sam's voice and the young woman swallowed hard.

"No he isn't. I have no clue where I am! According to the position of the sun it should be…" She looked up and then faltered. This was nonsense. This wasn't Earth, and she had no idea what direction it was. She didn't even remember which direction the town might be. "I don't know the direction… But there's an entrance to an old mine here which was sealed off… with old tracks right outside the entrance…"

There was a long silence, and finally, after what seemed to Sam to be an eternity, she pushed the button again. "Daniel? Did you copy?"

"Um yes… I just talked to one of the people from the tribe. They know where the mine is! Stay put, Sam. We'll come get you."

"Copy that!" Sam nodded relieved and dropped into the sand. She eyed the entrance to the cave suspiciously. Then she searched through the backpack and pulled the last grenade out. Determinedly, she ran up to the cave entrance, and tossed it inside, close to the entrance. Then she turned around and ran as fast as she could.

The explosion shook the ground under her, followed by a loud crashing of rocks and stone. When Sam finally turned around, the entrance to the mine had collapsed.

Briefly, the thought occurred to her that she probably didn't do anybody who would fall into the mine in the future a favor. However, at that very moment, all she cared about was making sure that none of the spiders would follow them outside and attack them.

Completely exhausted, Sam stumbled back to the wagon and climbed onto the wooden surface. She lay down next to the unconscious man, and snuggled up to him. Breathing shakily, she pulled him against her softly, and laid her head down next to his, so that she was facing him.

"Hold out… please…" she whispered against his skin and closed her eyes to rest for a moment. And then she started praying to a God that she didn't believe in that it wouldn't be too late…

**_Next update will follow in about a week… maybe a bit earlier._**

_Alright… I hope I haven't traumatized the arachnophobe readers among you. I know I traumatized myself a little bit by adding the scene of the spider actually pouncing on Sam. ;) _

_Somebody commented on one of the last chapters that they hoped, Jack didn't get hurt or something and that will change Sam's mind. Well… he did get hurt. Sorry for that. My main aim was actually not to use it as a way to make Sam change her mind about the marriage, or Jack (she won't – although she realized that denying that she has feelings for him might not work forever). I did it to actually explore Sam's reaction where it would be up to her so save the day. _

_In the beginning she was rather fragile – scared of the enemies, almost breaking down in the light of her friend Jason getting killed, etc. So while on the first glance it might look like this is an uncreative means to bring them closer, it is actually an attempt at character development. She has grown as a soldier… and she (and Jack also) will realize that she has actually command qualifications. _

_Sam's feeling do of course shine through – it's impossible to separate them from the happenings. But if you truly think that an incident like this will make her go "OMG, I realized I love you so much, please forgive me – smooch smooch" you are misjudging her character – and my love for that character. ;)_

_So please don't give up on the story, because you draw the wrong conclusions… there's still a lot in store that I bet you won't expect. _

_More about Sheppard and the ancient's device in the next chapter…_

**_And Review-Response-Time:_**

_CodenameVirus: I am sorry for not including Teal'c. I have however thought of a way to include him near the end that does make sense. ;) You need a bit of patience still though. It will be very different, very surprising from our universe. But I think, that's what makes AU interesting, isn't it. If you just retell the same story, it would be boring._

_Also I am glad that you like it so much. I put a lot of work in it, so seeing that it actually works for readers is a tremendous reward. :D _

**_ALIMOO1971_****_:_**_ Well, if it was Jack, whose head the head-sucker data got downloaded into, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, I thought. ;) Playing it this way actually gave me the opportunity to put in some nice twists. _

_Plus it's kind of fun to play with your (the reader's) expectation. ;) You think you know what will happen – and then I gotcha. :D Keeps the story interesting._

_Plus, Jack got hurt pretty badly in this chapter, and Sam will have plenty of opportunity to worry about him in the next chapter. _

**_mmkbrook_****_:_**_ Great you still like it! :D Yes, I think I can safely say this: Sheppard does have the ancient gene, and so does Jack. That hasn't changed. _

_Sam's emotions are very complicated, so I'm trying to portray her in a bit of a turmoil. She does feel attracted to Jack still – now that they're on a more neutral base again. But at the same time it scares the hell out of her that she does, because he is the guy her father chose, and who married her above her head. And therefore he represents all of that, which she tried to run away from when she ran away from home. _

_She's gone past the anger – she's mainly cautious now. Cautious and very insecure – and she will remain so for a bit. ;)_

**_Cyced:_**_ Of course Sheppard is not going to die! I don't write character deaths without a warning – at least not major character deaths. And although this story is mainly a Sam/Jack romance (meaning, those two are the protagonists), I still consider Sheppard a main character in the Stargate franchise whose death should be labeled as such. _

_Aside from that, I like Sheppard. ;) He and McKay are my favorites from Atlantis, so I couldn't bring myself to kill him even if it made sense in the context of the story. So I can calm you down… I won't do anything that the producers of Stargate hadn't done. (Okay, I admit, in Atlantis they seemed to develop a fondness for killing major characters… but you know what I mean!)_

_And yes, I thought Sam and Sheppard had great chemistry too. I never really shipped them – I'm more of a Sheppard/Teyla shipper (if I had to pair Sheppard up). But those two definitely had interesting chemistry. _

_Sheppard, to me, was always a bit like O'Neill Jr. Also very sarcastic, same smart comments, etc. Just maybe a bit smarter than O'Neill. I don't mean that in a bad way, but when Jack usually goes 'Huh?' with Carter, Sheppard actually seems to understand Rodney's technobabble most of the time, passed 'MENSA' etc. _

_Not saying Jack is stupid. He's definitely smart, and a lot of the times he seems to play dumb to humor Sam or make her smile. ;)_

**_vcm_****_:_**_ Wow… sequel, huh? Well, I've been rolling that idea around a bit, and there are definitely some great ideas I can work with. But let me finish this story first. We're about maybe half through now… so there's still a lot to go. :) _

_And don't worry, Sheppard won't die. Please read my response to Cyced for a detailed answer about how I handle major character deaths. ;)_

**_dpdp_****_:_**_ It's fun, isn't it? It's like Alice in Wonderland for readers… a lot of the times, I make scenes very similar to the ones you already know on the show, only to give you the sense of similarity and then turn it around 180 and do something completely unexpected. _

_It's kinda fun… ;D_

**_EvilTheLast_****_:_**_ Thanks for still reading, I'm glad you liked it!_

**_RiddleWrappedInAnEnigma_****_:_**_ And I don't think you will be disappointed with my solution. This chapter didn't deal with Sheppard much, because I needed to bridge the time gap to when he would actually feel effects from the ancient device. But the next chapter will focus on that in a large part._

**_Caskettshipr_****_:_**_ Yes, sorry for that. __L Especially the not being able to read through – and the long update periods at the moment. I rewriting a lot – based on feedback that I receive, or when I realize I made crucial mistakes. _

_While I understand, that it is frustrating for readers, it is also an opportunity for you to voice what you don't like, or point out logical flaws, and take a chance at me changing them (if they make sense). ;) I'll try to get better again with the updates. _

**_Sequinn_****_: _**_Yeah… meant to be. If every single Alternate Timeline shows you in a relationship or married to the same guy, you should start believing in something like destiny, shouldn't you. ;)_

_And Sam won't be able to fight her own feelings for that much longer. A few more chapters before her walls come down. ;)_

**_SilverAngel99_****_:_**_ You're right! I always thought that Sam's character on the show was a bit Mary Sue-ish. Then again, she also has her flaws – like her inability to sort out her emotions or address them in the first place. She also tends to be a bit passive on the show when it comes to intimacy. All the guys either come to her – or she gets set up by her brother (Pete). The first time she makes a move is in "Threads" when she goes to Jack's house – and that goes horribly wrong. ;)_

_Well, in any way, I wanted to give her a bit more depth here. Show her progression. We sometimes get hints on the show that point towards Sam actually having had a rebellious phase. (Think about the episode with Cadet Haley, where the professor tells Sam that the rebellious Haley reminds him a lot of Sam.)_

_So I was wondering, how Sam was in the beginning of her career. And in this story, since I made her younger, I can actually explore how she grows into the strong soldier (and strong woman) that we know on the show. _

**_fanka77_****_:_**_ It's fine… I figured you were eager. ;) I just wanted to point out that I am still very much working on this and hadn't abandoned it. And writing a good story sometimes takes time. _

_Especially since this one has kind of started to grow a life of its own. It has become so damn complicated, and I sometimes wonder what I was thinking when I thought one day "Oh, sure, let's start writing that, it'll be fun!" ;)_

_I mean it is fun! Lots and lots of fun! And I'm doing so many things that I have wanted to do for years, and I practice writing… but still. I feel like I am in WAAAY over my head sometimes. :D_

**_sg1 huge fan_****_:_**_ Yeah, I reverted to a (maybe not very creative) method of getting all the major commanders incapacitated somehow… ;) See how people at camp deal with that._

**_skarosianlifeform_****_:_**_ You're right about the Asgard… and you might not get your answer. I might leave that open for speculation… ;)_

_About the Aschen: To me, their method of colonialization is still very – well – it's passively aggressive. But it's not overt. They pose as friends, and they play on the race's ignorance – or their need for technological advancement. _

_In my mind, when the Aschen arrived on Earth (and I will get to the backgrounds in a later chapter!), Earth's population was still in a very primitive stage. It was the dark ages. People were held hostile by superstition and fear of the unknown. So when the Aschen arrived and offered medicine with their friendly voices and their rather impassionate behavior, humans might just have regarded them as saviors. People with a Christian background might have considered them angels, and most other cultures and religions might have thought they were holy people as well. _

_The Aschen unified Earth… so at the first glance and for a very long time it was considered that they did good for humanity. It took almost 700 years of evolvement and living among the Aschen for some people to start thinking critically. Don't forget, most humans living on Earth are STILL collaborators. They support the system – because the Aschen brought them health, long lives and luxury. Earth has become a paradise at the first glance. _

_It takes intelligence to look past that, and start to question existing rules and systems. And only very few members of a society do that usually. The rest will blindly support the existing conditions and defend them._

_So the Aschen way of taking over planets is actually very smart. And the exact opposite of the Goa'uld. _

**_Wiggiesmom:_**_ Sam should wiggle a lemon in front of Rodney, shouldn't she? ;) I love that character – and his interaction with Sam. I tuned his sexist behavior down a little bit, because I like the 'Atlantis' portrayal of McKay and his interaction with Sam there a lot more than his outright 'sexual harassment' in Stargate SG-1._


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